A Lady and a Sir
by pride-and-loyalty
Summary: Annabeth is a esteemed lady in Victorian London. A bit too clever, but still esteemed. She's well prepared for dating her suitors. So when her most important dance is taken by the worst enemy of her family, Lord Jackson, everything, including her heart, is thrown into chaos.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi guys I'm finally back! Ready for another slowly posted fanfic? I was going to start this weeks and weeks ago, but I was being lazy. But chapter one is here now, so yay!**

 **This is actually a rewrite of my first fanfic, Betrothed to the Wrong Person. It had okay writing, but it was really inaccurate, unrealistic, and the plot was uneven. And I've done a lot of writing before I went onto this website, so it really didn't have enough effort. I made myself finish it because I don't like incomplete stories, but I did promise my readers a rewrite. And I've eventually gotten to it.**

 **This plot is pretty different from my old one. So is most of the setting. And of course, the writing is way better.**

 **Anyways, enjoy!**

Annabeth lightly pushed her chair in, lifted her heavy skirts, and stepped towards the door. Then Tutor Parelli abruptly called her back.

She spun around, lace skimming her ankles. The tutor never called for her. Her younger sisters, maybe. But not Annabeth.

Lifting her chin, she strode forward, hiding her nervousness beneath her impassive expression. When she arrived before the tutor's desk, she daintily dropped her skirts, the thick white petticoats sliding down against her stockinged legs and flowing across the marble floor.

"Yes, Tutor Parelli?" She folded her gloved hands above her abdomen.

The elderly man smiled wanly up at her. He was slight, like a reed, with a shock of salt-and-pepper hair. His thick-rimmed glasses seemed intelligent and familiar at the same time. While he acted distant and cold, sometimes he displayed rare bursts of emotion. Like now, when his eyes shone softly. Annabeth," he murmured, gazing up at her sadly. "Our lessons are over now."

She dipped her chin in a nod. "Yes, sir." Inside, her head raced, trying to uncover the reason for this.

His hand slid across the table, nearing hers. Annabeth recognized the gesture as fatherly. "You're my star student. Even as a lady, you've done so well."

His praise warmed Annabeth's heart. She knew that she was fortunate to get such an extensive education. And normal ladies could never become as smart as her. But intelligence was an asset to her family name, and she strived to uphold it.

"Thank you, Tutor Parelli," her voice rose slightly in gratitude.

"No need to thank me. Soon, Annabeth, you will enter society. It's a hard place to navigate, especially for you, with all that knowledge hidden under the surface," he said somberly. "Find a place that will accept all of you. Don't push any of it away."

Annabeth internally recoiled at how informal he was being. Tutor Parelli had barely spoken to her before. His words remained sharp inside her brain. "Yes, Tutor," she replied obediently.

"Don't forget. You may leave now." Tutor Parelli pushed up his glasses and gave her one last melancholy look. "I'll miss you," he added quietly.

Startled, Annabeth's curtsy hitched. She quickly straightened and answered politely, "As will I." Though she wished to hurry, she went out of the room as gracefully as ever, her mind whirling. Out in the hallway, she almost collided into her butler.

Annabeth flushed in embarrassment, clutching her reticule. "Apologies," she said the same time as the butler exclaimed, "Miss Chase!"

Annabeth cleared her throat softly. "Yes?"

The butler, Williamson, neatly folded his hands before speaking. "Miss McLean is waiting outside for your afternoon tea."

The corners of Annabeth's mouth tugged up in barely masked excitement. "Allow her to come in."

Williamson nodded sharply. "Follow me, then."

They went down to the front hall and Williamson pulled open the main doors, revealing a heavily covered Piper McLean.

"Good afternoon, Annabeth," Piper greeted with a barely masked glint in her multicolored eyes. They had to act formal in front of everyone, but when by themselves in the sitting room they were like little kids.

"Good afternoon to you too, Piper." She hugged her friend, hiding her own inflaming grin. Annabeth took Piper's gloved hand between hers, scrutinizing her outfit. Piper was wearing a dark navy gown with a ribbon-hemmed sleeves, per usual, but also a cotton shrug along and a large fur cloak that engulfed her small frame.

"That's a lot of layers," she commented softly as they followed Williamson to the sitting room.

Piper shook her head. "Mother said brown fur was in style." Her voiced dropped lower. "In _autumn_."

A giggle escaped Annabeth. She tried to make the sound dainty. "But why not have, perhaps, Silena wear the it?"

Piper shook her head again in irritation. "My image matters more now since the Season is so close," she said with slight resentment.

Annabeth sympathized. The Season was when suitors started asking out-or courting-ladies. Everyone was tense beforehand, even her own no-nonsense mother. "Everyone knows you're a stylish lady. Who would ever deny an Aphrodite daughter that?"

"Fur is quite important," she said jokingly. "I can't miss out on it."

"No, or the aristocracy would assume you were adopted!" Annabeth joked along.

Williamson cleared his throat, unfazed by the girls' conversation. He held out an arm to the sitting room, where a stocky adolescent servant boy stood at attention. "Here you are," he told them.

Annabeth curtsied in thanks and then the two ladies were ushered inside by the servant boy. A small fire was already lit inside the large stone fireplace, and two thick blankets were draped across the upholstered sofa. There was a tall window on the far wall, the drapes secured with braided ropes, exposing warm, hazy afternoon light.

The two girls stepped across the thick, Persian carpet and settled comfortably onto the couch. The servant boy excused himself to get the tea. Piper stared after him before turning to Annabeth with a grin.

"I can't wait for the suitors to come a-courting," she smirked unabashedly.

Annabeth eyed her friend. "You know our suitors would be far older than that boy." Men entered the courting system three to four years later than girls, who were teenage. "Besides, why would you want to court him?"

That wasn't a comment on the servant boy's class, for many soft-hearted girls who read too many romances dream of a muscular stable boy or whatever sweeping them off their feet and into the tranquil country. Instead, she was considering what good qualities the boy had.

Piper huffed. "He was a rather handsome person, Annabeth. You just didn't notice. Pity that he wasn't born into a wealthy family and just a few years older." Ah, right. Piper preferred families that matched her own. Those dreamy-eyed girls were still all the same to Annabeth.

"Handsome? His face was rather spotty, if I recalled correctly." She shook her head. "Ladies shouldn't be discussing these things."

The servant boy picked that moment to knock on the door. They burst into giggles. Annabeth, taking a breath, allowed him to come in. He rolled a delicate sliver-rimmed tea cart into the room, the shelves laden with miniature pastries and an elegant tea set. Like every other set in the household, the creamy porcelain was painted with proud owls, their beady gazes knowing and soul-searching. As the servant boy laid out the tea, Annabeth's eyes snagged on the bright olive branches circling the saucers.

 _Mother got a new tea set. For future meeting with suitors, indefinitely. Even Mother cares about the Season,_ Annabeth mused.

The boy added cream and sugar to Piper's tea and a single sugar cube to Annabeth's before quietly leaving. Then there was silence except for the clinking of sliver spoons against teacups as the two girls each took a sip.

"I always love the tea here," Piper sighed happily. "All there is at home is floral tea, which Mother carefully analyzes the color of _every time_ before drinking. Everything has to be aesthetically perfect in the Aphrodite household."

Annabeth set her cup on the brand-new saucers. "Ah, that is why you visit so often."

Her friend laughed. "Yes, of course. Your company could never match up to the treats here."

"Oh, I see," she replied in a pretend cold tone. "No, but the tea at the Demeter house is the nicest. They have imported tea from all over and the very best from England herself."

"And I wouldn't mind spending time with Katie and Miranda." These were the most important Demeter daughters, close friends to both of them. "Stoll is going to steal all of Katie's dances on the debut ball."

Annabeth laughed merrily. Travis Stoll, from the Hermes household, had an obvious affection towards Katie. They were close friends ever since they were kids, and everyone could tell they would get married once the Season was over. "I'm willing to bet that no other suitor will dare to approach Katie that night."

"Demeter would be horrified! I'm sure Katie would spare a few dances for some hopeful suitors. And Stoll would glare at them the whole time."

Annabeth picked up a flaky pastry from the dish. "I'm sure Connor would distract him by robbing some poor lady's reticule."

Piper grabbed her own pale pink purse warily. "I'm never letting go of mine, then."

"Oh, remember when Travis picked through Clarisse's reticule and found some very pointy things inside?"

Piper laughed loudly. "Oh yes, I don't know why he thought to touch an Ares' child's things. Clarisse did something extremely unladylike to him in public."

"And her father clapped," Annabeth recalled. "It was amusing but very inappropriate."

"Precisely why it was funny. I had no idea why Clarisse even bothered to carry a reticule until Travis went through it." Clarisse was the barest extreme of a lady. She wore breeches every now and then, never bothered with corsets, left her brown hair unpinned, and swore like a sailor. She was horrible, even for an Ares child. Mothers shielded their young children around her.

Piper leaned in, her ever-changing eyes glittering with mischief. "Do you remember anything from the big tea party at the Hermes house last spring?" Anything, of course, meant juicy gossip.

"Oh, not really." Actually, Annabeth remembered a lot. Every moment when a certain golden-haired Hermes child looked her way, every time he passed by, every time someone spoke up about him, she remembered vividly. But she wasn't going to tell Piper any of that.

Her friends folded her long, pretty fingers together. "Well, a much lesser-known child of Hermes appeared a lot in the events. He went on walks with the ladies, even gave a long toast."

Annabeth leaned back on the sofa. Piper would draw out information as long as she could. "Okay….?"

"Honestly, most people never noticed him before. And one my sisters told me he was quite handsome." Piper wiggled her eyebrows.

Annabeth resisted rolling her eyes. Being ironic was clever, being sarcastic was impudent. Mother had taught her that defining line long ago.

Anyhow, truthfully, Annabeth knew Piper didn't have flyaway crushes on servant boys or particular Hermes children. She was actually a believer in real, true love, but that was looked down upon in her house, so she acted as a flirt. Deep down, though, Annabeth believed her friend wasn't so flighty.

"I see. Now, no one in London will believe you're a lady if you keep moving your eyebrows." Annabeth sipped her tea. "Probably the boy in question, too."

Piper spread herself across her pillows with an annoyed expression. "You cut into my suspense, Beth! Allow me to continue, please. Do you know who he is?"

"Not at all."

"Sir Rodriguez, one of the slightly younger Hermes brothers. Do you know who that is?"

"Again, not at all."

Piper was obviously pleased at being the most informed. She smiled smugly. "Well, dear Annabeth, he's actually the assistant for managing international visitors with his father's business. And you know how many people from out of town visit London."

"Impressive." Annabeth stopped leaning back, because keeping her spine ruler-straight and tilting hurt. "Is he the most sought-after suitor in town?"

"My gossip hasn't ended, dear. He has a special lady in mind, who secretly likes him back."

"And who is that?" Annabeth lifted her cup to her lips, her eyes half-lidded in boredom at this idle gossip.

"Miss La Rue, Clarisse herself."

Annabeth, for all her poise, almost spat out her tea in surprise. She swallowed quickly and dabbed at her mouth with a kerchief. "What? Clarisse has an admirer? And she likes him too?" She could hardly imagine the muscular, breeches-wearing girl taking a moonlit stroll at night, hand-in-hand with a true gentleman.

Piper grinned with pleasure of sharing precious gossip. "Exactly. You should've seen the calling card she sent over to him. It was white, for goodness' sake. Not the color of blood!"

Calling cards didn't actually point to romance, they were just paper slips printed with a name and a picture, asking the receiver to send one in return as agreement for a visit. But the Ares house, as their symbol, would give a red card with a sharp-tusked boar. Annabeth could hardly guess where Clarisse found a white card. Ares kids weren't prone to have any papers.

"That is completely unbelievable. Are you sure that's correct?"

"Silena occasionally talks to Clarisse. Why, I have no idea."

Annabeth stared at a scone thoughtfully. "This Sir Rodriguez is one special person, being able to capture Clarisse's heart."

"Enough talk. We have something else to discuss." Piper smirked at her. "What are you hopes for your debut? A few dances from a certain Hermes child?"

Annabeth's cheeks automatically reddened. She fanned herself, trying to hide her face behind the lacy folds. "Maybe," she stuttered out. Images of a large, tanned hand reaching for hers, and a bright smile sprang into her mind.

"Maybe? I'm sure you'll spend all night fantasying about your dances and his name on your dance card and what he'll write on his invitation."

Annabeth shook her head. "I am not a silly flowerhead. I simply enjoy Luke's company. And I think he would make a good partner."

"Ah, yes. And you never think about your wedding, or how his proposal will go, and handsome he will look the coming evening." Piper's voice grew higher as she became more teasing.

"No," she said firmly, though of course she had.

She did think about Luke, probably too much. He was her childhood friend, someone she bonded with when their parents left them and their remaining parents gave them no attention. He was like her brother. They grew up, and they both changed, but the light inside him Annabeth could always see.

And he was a good suitor, too. Handsome, rich, charming-like his siblings, responsible-completely unlike his siblings. He cared, and Annabeth found that to be different about him, while he appreciated her intelligence. All this matched up.

"But I'll have to take dances from other suitors. Who knows, I could have some interesting conversations over this Season."

Both of them knew that the debut ball would change a lot.

 **Alright I'm done! Yay sleep! This was pretty fun to write. I think I could get a better handle on my information and descriptions and speech, but this isn't too bad. Wait for better stuff, please. Be patient.**

 **To be clear, I don't ship Lukabeth. I think it was really sweet when they thought of one another as siblings and they fought on the streets together, and then everything shattered when Luke turned evil. And the ship itself never really happened. Annabeth got a crush on him right around the time he went over to the other side *ominous music* and Percy appeared *confetti shoots into air, party music, cheering*. Anyway, it could've been good, maybe, but Luke was pretty broken inside. Like all of Uncle Ricks' works, 'tis sad.**

 **So yeah, this is the first chapter, another one will come next week. Not sure what day, I'm very slacker-y. Go to sleep, those with my time zone!**

 **Au revoir,**

 **Pride-and-loyalty**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi guys, sorry for the long, long wait. I've been horribly undevoted to this story, only writing tiny bits every few days. From now on, I have a specific deadline. One chapter every week, and hopefully a long one.**

 **The first chapter was pretty fun to write, hopefully going to do better though. Stuff happens in this chapter. Not too much, since I'm the queen of fluff and fillies (filler chapters), but still, stuff will happen. That was supposed to sound kind of ominous. Doubt it.**

 **Also, heads-up, I'm going to change the title to "A Lady and a Lord", which is more accurate. I hope you guys won't get lost in the search results after this.**

 **Enjoy!**

Almost barren fields in golden-gray streamed past the carriage window. Annabeth touched a gloved hand to the frosty glass, remembering what Katie once told her about autumn. The Demeter house loved planting, and when all their plants were harvested or dying, Demeter would remain in her bedchamber all day.

"Beth?" A hand touched her shoulder softly.

She turned around to see Malcolm frowning at her. He gently touched his boot to hers. "You seem nervous."

Annabeth clasped her friends together in her elaborately covered lap. "I suppose I am."

"I know Mother says emotions are weaknesses, but it's perfectly fine to be nervous right now." Malcolm's eyes shone like clear gray diamonds.

"I'm fine. Thank you for your concern. I just haven't seen Sir Chase in so long."

Malcolm tilted his head at the title. "He is your father."

"We aren't on close terms." Annabeth absently pulled at a ribbon on her gloves. Her mother had paused by her chamber this morning and directed her to dress nicely. Her eyes had softened, the tiniest bit, when she ordered Annabeth to ask how her father was doing.

"You may still refer to him as your father, Beth." His voice was earnest and warm. Annabeth felt a rush of gratitude and unbecoming annoyance at her brother.

The roads outside the window had thinned again, and buildings were beginning to appear. "I think we're almost arriving." She leaned back in her seat, anxious but the littlest bit excited. "It's your second visit with my father, right?"

"It's my pleasure. We get along well." He looked less worried at this turn of causal conversation.

"That's good." Annabeth rather hated small talk, especially with a sibling that shared her intelligence, but it was the most proper thing to do now. "How long are we staying?"

Malcolm checked his golden engraved pocket watch. It was a gift from their mother, with a wide-eyed owl on the front. "A quarter before eleven. We have tea to ourselves."

"Yes, thank you. And my dress fitting is in the afternoon?"

"You know your schedule well enough," he replied with a devious grin. "And it's a very important occasion."

Annabeth shot him a look. She always thought dress fittings were a bit boring and tried to keep them to a minimum. But when she had to go through one, she stood as still as a statue, like a perfect lady. Ghosts of pins and needles would follow her back home, partially because so many have just poked her. "Yes, it is. Lady Courtwell has designed an exquisite dress for me." She put just the right amount of emphasis on "exquisite", not too enthusiastic or detached, but light and formal.

Malcolm's golden brows furrowed. "Beth, you know how the debut dresses are cut differently. You'll have a far tighter corset and a lower collar." He reached for her hand. "If anyone, I mean anyone, touches you wrongly or looks or even says something, tell me and I will treat them the way they deserve. Watch out in the dances, when everyone is pressed up. And stay away from the drinks table."

Annabeth laughed, pulling her hand from his. "I'll be fine, brother. I've been trained to deal with suitors all my life. If someone does something unspeakable, I'll deal with them myself before telling you." She grinned slyly.

He still seemed a bit nervous, so Annabeth sighed and continued talking. "I promise I will stay away from the drinks table. If someone looks unsettling I shall keep my dance card away from them. Satisfied?"

"You cannot blame me for caring," he responded, smiling. The carriage slowed to a stop. They looked out the window to see a large, imposing stone house. Malcolm exited first, holding a hand out to help Annabeth out. They passed over the gravel lawn to the front door. Malcolm rapped the brass knocker sharply, and a butler immediately opened the door.

"Greetings, Lord and Lady Athena." In the ways of their extended family, one's name became the surname of their children. The butler bowed lowly before holding out an arm, beckoning them inside.

They entered the tall-ceilinged entrance hall and Annabeth's eyes danced around the room, picking up details. The chandelier was bright and glittering, but the specks of rust on the handles and the number of times Annabeth saw it before showed its age. Most likely they bought it when they first moved in. Gold-framed portraits were newly hung by the winding staircase. Annabeth was saddened to see high cheekbones and small eyes in the painted figures, just like Miss Chase. _So they have a family history now_. The wallpaper was a nice blue now, instead of gray, and the rumbling sound of a lecture drifted down from another level. Annabeth's step-brothers were probably having lessons. The curtains were creaseless velvet, with shiny gold tassels, which Miss Chase probably just inserted to show off. Velvet did not stay ironed for too long. And a masterfully engraved grandfather clock ticked softly in the corner.

"Sir Chase will be with you shortly," the butler informed them. "I will lead you to the parlor first." They followed him down finely furnished hallways, with more Miss Chase-esque portraits and long curtains. They entered a large room with a small hearth off to the side. The wallpapers were pale and flowery and the roof had a detailed painting of playing cherubs on it. This all was interrupted, however, by the large moose head on the wall. There was also large cluster of embroidered armchairs, padded with large fur blankets, surrounding a tall stone table.

Once they were both guided into seats, the butler said he would pick up the tea and left with a bow.

"This parlor was refurnished since a few years ago," Annabeth noted. "And there were a lot of new additions in the entrance hall."

"It was a long time since we visited." Malcolm uncomfortably drew his fur blanket up to his shoulders. Back in the Athena house, most of their furs were from Lady Artemis, as no son of Athena liked hunting so far. Lady Artemis, however, lived free in the woods with a team of maiden followers. The London society, of course, did not know about this.

"True. The meeting is only with my father, yes?"

"I should expect so. You did have a feud with Miss Chase during the last visit."

Annabeth's cheeks pinked a little, but she refused to be ashamed of her actions. "Miss Chase is hardly a lady," she managed through gritted teeth, "and I would very much not like to meet her."

"That's unfortunate to hear," a deeper, sadder voice came from the entrance. They turned and saw Sir Chase, looking as rumpled as usual. His graying blond hair was mostly unbrushed, and a few buttons on his shirt were missed. When Annabeth saw him, her heart tugged a little and a childish adoration came up to the surface. He looked perfectly harmless like this, not someone who would refuse his daughter and leave her on the doorstep for a whole day.

They both got up, and Annabeth curtsied in synchronization with Malcolm's bow. Sir Chase looked a bit surprised at their perfect timing, but he didn't say anything. Instead, he sank into the chair beside Annabeth's. "Hello, daughter." His eyes were tired and rimmed with dark bags.

"Father." She answered back, her face impassive.

"It's been a long time," he murmured. "I've missed seeing you."

A million sharp retorts sprang to Annabeth's tongue, faster than she'd thought humanly possible. She dipped her head and tried to swallow the bitterness down. Her father noticed this and sighed slowly. "I have, Annabeth, believe me."

"Of course I believe you," she answered, her voice flat. All she could think of was Helen's frown when she first saw her, and how he patted her comfortingly. Compared to them, Athena was the warmest mother on earth.

Fredrick absentmindedly drew circles on his breeches. "I'm glad you're here though. So much has changed."

She nodded in agreement. "My debutante ball is tomorrow evening."

For his part, he wasn't shocked. "Yes, I'm glad we have today to discuss that. I hope you dance with the right suitors."

Annabeth locked her expression to a blank one, her emotions burning red-hot underneath, and continued to nod.

"And when courting, please be careful. Don't do anything you shouldn't. And pick carefully for engagement. Rushing into marriage is a bad idea." Annabeth thought, initially, that he was using the basic advice on her, but then she saw how deep in thought he was. Memories surfaced in his shining eyes. She guessed that he was thinking about his marriage with Athena and how it plummeted so suddenly. _The marriage to Helen was quick, too_.

"Yes, Father." She answered quietly. He was so lost in his memories that he didn't respond. Slowly, Annabeth glanced over to Malcolm. Almost infinitesimally, his shoulders lifted and drooped under his blanket. Neither of them knew what to do.

Luckily, the butler came in with tea, and the maid hurried around setting it up. She dropped a sparse cube of sugar, no milk, into both Annabeth's and Malcolm's delicate teacups. She filled Sir Chase's cup without a word, adding plenty of sugar. They left in a flurry.

When Annabeth picked up her teacup, she noticed a small chip on the side. _An aftereffect of having young boy twins in the house_. All thirst gone, she took a small sip and set it back onto the saucer. Malcolm followed after her.

"It tastes a bit strange," he told her by tapping Morse code on the table. "I like the Demeter houses'."

Annabeth smiled. "Me too," she tapped back.

Finally Sir Chase sighed deeply. "Was I out?" He asked, fixing his glasses.

"Not for long, sir," Malcolm answered politely.

"Oh, yes, sorry. Annabeth, pick carefully, remember."

"I shall." She nodded again, like a wind-up toy.

Her father talked for a little bit on picking suitors, and then he pulled out a pocket watch from his breeches. "I believe you should leave now. Our meeting is coming to an end."

Malcolm checked his own pocket watch and tapped out, "Half an hour left, actually." But they both smiled and nodded to him. "It's a shame," Annabeth told her father. And surprisingly, part of her thought it was. This would be the last time she would see her scatterbrained father before she became a true lady.

She curtsied neatly, Malcolm bowing in tow, and they wandered back down the hallways. When they entered their carriage, Annabeth let out a sigh of her own. "Oh, it's nothing," she answered when Malcolm questioned it.

 _Beauty is pain,_ Annabeth hissed inside her head, _beauty is pain._ But the stinging pricks in her violently aching back felt the exact opposite of beauty. As the acute pressure in her ruler-straight form traveled shifted to her lower back, she let out a soft hiss.

Athena, of course, heard it. Her hard gray gaze sharpened. "Yes, Annabeth?"

She bit down on the inside of her lip, the only self-controlling method she had that wasn't noticeable from the outside. "Nothing, Mother."

Only when Athena's eyes darkened further did she notice her mistake. Her lip was bitten harder. "I did not spend all my efforts on lessons for you, a lady, to make such simpleminded grammar mistakes."

"Sorry, Mother. I meant to say 'it was nothing'."

Athena didn't answer, continuing to regard her disapprovingly. Then Lady Courtwell cleared her throat. "I am done, Miss Athena."

The two adults stepped back, examining Annabeth's dress. Since both eyes were fixed upon her, she dared not relax. Instead, she peeked at her reflection in the mirror across from her.

Her dress was a stunning shade of gray, like the feather of a dove, or a newly scrubbed sidewalk of cement. The corset was more tight and breath-stealing than usual, but Annabeth taught herself to not mind over the years. The effect, was, however, splendid. She had a perfect hourglass figure, with the bursting cotton skirts surrounding her hips. Elegant sheets of lace with flowers and curls ringed her collar and the hems of her wide sleeves. And the fabric of the dress was shiny and silky, almost translucent. Underneath were layers upon layers of scalloped skirts in neat succession.

"This dress is impressive," Athena remarked to Lady Courtwell. "I am pleased with it."

Lady Courtwell smiled. "I am happy to hear that, Your Grace. I shall leave it with your servant then. We may discuss payments another time." With a nod, she and her team of seamstresses left the room. And then more servants came up to Annabeth's podium, slipping the dress off, unlacing her corset, untying the string that roped the petticoats to her hips. She was left back in her apricot-colored day gown.

"Do make yourself scarce before the evening comes. I don't want to hear of you giggling in a small room somewhere with Lady Aphrodite." Athena fetched her reticule from the sideboard.

"Yes, Mother." She curtsied and hurried off, trying to keep the red from rising to her cheeks. _You were perfectly still for almost the whole time. You only made a sound once,_ she reminded herself. _It's not that disappointing._

Of course, she didn't believe herself. She was already old and stood through weeks of dress fittings.

With a sigh, and then a private grin, she waved down a servant. "Please send this to the Zeus house," she said, slipping a small piece of paper from her reticule. It was charcoal gray, with a creamy white owl taking flight. "Annabeth Chase, Athena," was formally printed on the top. "And hurry."

The little servant boy nodded, taken aback at the unusual request. When the sun was almost dipping down the horizon, she was back in a sitting room, laughing with a half-dressed girl with black hair. Thalia Grace, her other best friend.

Sometimes, she had to escape her mother's cold commands.

 **Okay, hi again, hope you enjoyed this chapter. I just want to say, thank you guys so much for following and favoriting and listing this story. That is so awesome. I feel honored to be on so many Favorite Authors lists. I'm not actually that good, you know. But, well, yeah. You guys should check out my own favorite authors list for good recommendations. But don't be disappointed at my profile. I'll change it when I get write more stories which deserves a good introduction.**

 **So, now to replying reviews. Happy for reviewing, you guys. I know my first chapter sucked.**

 **Notyou21: Great work? *snorts* Thanks, though. You literally said everything I was complaining about was good, and that's super nice of you. I'll try my best to keep it up!**

 **Alexxx100: Phew. I thought my story would be too boring and serious. Guess not.**

 **Guest: Everyone said my concept was good. Wow. Anyways, your review is so nice, I really liked it. I'm definitely going to keep going. Hopefully this chapter was worth waiting for.**

 **MafiaMarshMellow: Here it is, thanks for reviewing that made me pick this up.**

 **Alright, thanks to you all. Seriously, keep reviewing. It really makes my day. This website sends notifications to my email, so I check it like** _ **every**_ **hour, and when I see a review I grin like a madman and tell my friends, "I got mail!" Like, you don't need to write an epic poem or whatever, you don't even need to compliment my writing. Just write** _ **anything**_ **, please.**

 **So, yeah, have a great day/night!**

 **Au revoir,**

 **Pride-and-loyalty**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi guys, me again. It's been so long since I last posted, as usual. *sigh* At least I stuck to my plan: posting once a week. Though my chapters still have to get longer. Yeah, probably next time.**

 **Anyway, my title is different. Sounds smoother, too. I also did some research, so hopefully this'll be more accurate. I'll edit the other chapters over the weekend.**

 **Oh yeah, and none of the places are real, because I'm not** _ **that**_ **thorough.**

 **Last note, I don't ship Lukabeth, I'm not that weird. If you look closely you'll see how platonic it actually is, and if you wait a little bit you'll see what a** _ **real**_ **ship is like. ;)**

 **Enjoy!**

When the Westfield Manor came into view, alarm and panic surged through Annabeth's heart. Her breathing shallowed slightly as the apex of her youth neared closer and closer to the carriage.

There was no reason for this fear, however. The Westfield Manor was alighted with the flames of a thousand candles. A long line of aristocrats in their finest outfits trickled through the vast doorframe, their jewels sparkling in the moonlight. Her plain diamond necklace suddenly felt cold on her collarbones.

The richly dressed footman pulled the door open and offered Annabeth a hand. She accepted it, daintily stepping of the carriage. Her eyes automatically flickered to the identical one behind her. It was some old Athena tradition for the debuting girls to ride alone, and she missed the comforting pats from Malcolm. All she caught was the feathery hat from one of her sisters. She turned back to the path leading into the manor, perfected her posture, patiently waited her turn inside.

"Lady Annabeth Chase Athena, daughter of The Most Honorable Duchess Athena!" the announcer proclaimed, his cheeks puffing out as he yelled. Heads swiveled at the notable surnames and titles. Ladies looked at her gown appraisingly and almost jealously while gentleman developed eager smiles. Annabeth was already used to large crowds, and this was one of the few times a lady could remain the center of attention, so she flashed a bright smile and waved. Then she slowly curtsied and demurely made her way down the carpeted stairs. She could feel many eyes on her as she took one careful step after another, lifting her heavy skirts.

The Westfield Manor looked stunning on this important night. The giant chandelier's carved crystals glittered and the marble floor was freshly polished. A twirling and dancing crowd whirled around the ballroom, sending thick cotton petticoats and expensive waistcoat flaps flying in every direction. Strings of elegant music hung in the air over frivolous hats. Delicate slippers grazed the floor at the same time as heavy men's boots in a bizarre yet harmonious song. Yards upon yards of lace and velvet pieced together the bodices of the ladies and breeches for the lords. Gloves of the cleanest ivory rested on narrow waists and broad shoulders. The precious jewels hanging around the women's necks and arms could bring a small town of fishermen to dukedom. The air was scented with flowery perfume and strong cologne that ultimately symbolized unity.

Annabeth gazed across the merry pompadour, wondering where to start in the thick crowd. Suddenly a familiar pair of sky blue eyes found her.

"Luke," she breathed happily, wanting to rush up and hug him. But the thick cluster of elderly ladies in the corner were already eyeing them, ready to judge and gossip.

"Annabeth," he answered in the same fashion, grinning down at her. "You look beautiful."

She blushed and flooded her arms across her partially bare chest. "Well, you look the most handsome, per usual."

Actually, Luke looked especially handsome tonight. His broad shoulders were covered in a finely spun overcoat, and his starched white shirt was paler than snow. The silk cravat at his throat brought out his bright eyes. His sunlight-colored hair was cleanly brushed-which only happened at formal events-and Annabeth had an extremely unladylike urge to touch it. The scar that stretched across his face seemed like a quiet reminder of a distant world.

He told her small, gloved hands in his. "You're always be the most beautiful to me, Annabeth. May I have your first dance?"

She beamed at him. "Of course." He reached for the small piece of paper dangling from her wrist on a shiny gray ribbon, her dance card, and neatly jotted down his name: _Luke Castellan_. He never included his family surname and all Annabeth knew about was a bitter fight between him and his father.

Then he guided her in the crowd and they fell into the smooth, easy dance with lilting tones. Annabeth's smile soared along with the high notes when Luke pulled her close to his chest and offered her an intense gaze. Of course, he had to release her just as quickly afterwards. Annabeth absentmindedly wondered why boisterous dances still required couples.

The dance ended far too soon. Luke gave her a quick bow, his eyes glittering with mischief, and disappeared among the dark coats. She trailed the edges of the crowd like she was taught and soon another potential suitor stepped up to her. "Greetings, Lady Athena. I am William Burton, the Earl of Perryton."

Her mind almost immediately slipped into what Athena would think. From his title and lack of familial icons, he was a "mortal", what outsiders from her large family were referred to as. Yes, she had egotistical relatives.

Perryton was not a large estate either, so not wealthy enough for the likes of their family. Probably only made a few thousand a grand.

He was somewhat handsome, and fairly young, though. Nice nose and forehead, but plain eyes.

Annabeth internally shook her head free of her mother's critical thoughts. Now her view of this hopeful suitor was ruined. "Greetings to you too. How are you this evening?" The constantly used formal words slipped from her tongue like silk.

"I am well. And you?"

"I am fine too." She gave him a small smile. This caused his eyes to glow a little brighter.

"May I have the next dance?" He offhandedly gestured to the musicians preparing for the quadrille.

Annabeth smiled to herself at his awkwardness. "Of course," she answered, holding out her wrist. He scrawled his full title down on the dance card, and it looked like a toddler's compared to Luke's neat writing. She pushed the comparison out of her head and let him lead her back onto the dance floor.

He was a clumsy and bashful dancer, exclaiming "Oh!" if his toes bumped hers or if he elbowed her stiff side, which happened quite often. Annabeth found an affectionate smile on her face when the last notes faded away. She would've liked becoming acquaintances with him, but of course Athena wouldn't approve.

The rest of the dances passed similarly, but no other mortal dared approach her. She suspected a number of people involved in that. Lord Rodriguez took one of her dances and she cast nervous looks towards an irritated Clarisse the whole time. She would have to speak to Silena later about extinguishing her temper. One of the younger boys of the Hephaestus family asked her for a dance with fire-red cheeks. He was short and curly-haired and surprisingly funny. He cracked several jokes before the song even began and made a total fool of himself dancing. Annabeth had to excuse herself to the powder room in case she burst out laughing. He seemed fearless, though he did twitch the whole time.

And, of course, Luke took two more of her dances. This should've caused the ladies in the corner to gasp and topple to the floor in shock, but everyone knew how close they already were. Thalia, their mutual friend, claimed them to be engaged with a wrinkled nose. He was still ever the gentleman, touching her with feather-light fingers and never holding her too long. Annabeth could not put off her fond smile.

She found Piper during the breaks between dances. She was in a gorgeous scarlet gown with wide mutton-leg sleeves. Her corset pulled her already-slim waist into a perfect hourglasses figure that every lady dreamed of. Her dark braided bun was threaded with diamonds and rubies to match her dress were wrapped around her wrists. Heart-shaped jewels, signets of her family, hung from her ears and slender neck. Even her makeup was done differently in the mysterious ways of Aphrodite and she looked like a vision in the flickering candlelight.

"You look like the most beautiful lady in this room, Lady Piper." She told her, giving her a hug.

Piper smiled humbly. "Please, your dress bests every other piece here. And look at how fair your locks are!"

She knew Piper was discreetly referring to the blond color. Her friend had always been envious of Annabeth's pale skin and straw locks and despised her own chocolate-colored hair. But even if society looked down upon Piper's honey-brown skin, Annabeth thought it all extremely beautiful.

"Your locks are the fairest, Piper. They look so rich and smooth!" She looped her arms around her. "Now, to more pressing matters. What was your dance with Jason like?"

She sighed dreamily and they delved into continuous discussion.

Time slowly crawled by and Annabeth spotted the musicians picking their instruments for the last dance. She bid Piper goodbye entered the crowd of flurrying skirts, hoping to find a perfect suitor for the last dance. She saw a sensible young man look her way and was about to head over when someone took her wrist.

She turned and saw a dark head bent over her dance card, scribbling away. She gently pulled her hand away and saw gigantic, messy scrawl on the thin slip of paper. "Lrod Perseus Jackson Poseidon.…" and then a handful of misspelled estate names. There was a giant smudge of ink in the corner.

She was too horrified by the spelling that she didn't even recognize the name at first. Then alarm blazed through her head. Poseidon? Perseus? Those names were considered evil in her home. Memories of Athena snarling about Poseidon's behavior at the dinner table and a tall, cocky boy laughing at Malcolm flashed before her eyes.

She slowly looked up, trying not to panic. Her eyes met vivid pools of ocean. Her breath stuck in her chest. Those eyes were such a beautiful color, of swirling waves with unreadable emotions rising from its depths to the surface. Of emerald waves under the sun, drawing the tide back and forth. They were so bright they burned through the fading light and slipped warmth inside her.

Suddenly long, dark eyelashes flashed across the two infinities of color. She jerked, startled from the other world those eyes brought her into. Her eyes slowly picked up on a jaw that stole a heartbeat, silky black hair, and…... a teasing smirk.

Defiance surged into her mind. A frown tugged at her lips before she managed to hold it back. What was _he_ smirking at?

"Good evening, Lady Annabeth Chase _Athena_." His smirk only widened as he emphasized her family name. "How are you?"

She stared at him, slack-jawed. "You know very well, Lord Jackson, of our family feud. I do not appreciate you taking a spot on my dance card without my permission nor grabbing me. I will not stand to see my reputation shredded because my last dance was with a profound enemy. Please go find another partner while I remove your name from my card."

His eyes sparkled, almost dangerously. "Can you refuse a dance from a pleasant, high-ranking gentleman? And this is the last dance, so you need an important partner." The ladies from the corner had their eyes bugging out comically as they watched and strained to hear.

Annabeth tossed around the etiquette for this in her mind. He was right, she could not refuse this offer from a proper gentleman. But he was highly disregarded by her family. She searched the room for Malcolm or maybe even Athena to sort things out when Lord Poseidon wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her into the center of the crowd. Everyone parted, their eyes wide as they saw Lord Poseidon's blue cravat and Annabeth's gray dress and put things together. They were a very odd couple.

But then the music started and Lord Poseidon expertly guided Annabeth to the rhythm. She stood against his chest, still in shock.

When the dance was over, he actually had the bravery to tenderly touch her cheek. "I'll see you another time, Lady Athena." And then his brilliant green eyes watched her all the way to her carriage.

 **Okay I'm done yay bye I'm too tired for my usual signoff.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hallo, people, I'm back again for another chapter. I did not successfully change the title of this story, so, whatever. Pretend that it's accurate. Also, is there any tech-savvy person who can teach me how to turn on my PM settings? I switched it off when I first got here but someone wants to talk to me (yeah, surprise, surprise) so I really need to get it to work. Alright, I believe this chapter will be long because I don't really have homework…. I think. Yeah, let's just forget I said anything.**

 **Also, I reread a bit of my last chapter and it was SO bad. I actually edited it a little bit. I must've been extremely tired, so yeah, this one's quality will be much better.**

 **Enjoy!**

" _Well, the dance is beginning," he whispered to her softly._

 _Her heart clenched at how intimate he sounded before internally shaking the feeling off. This was Lord Poseidon, her sworn enemy and evil counterpart. He was going to own the Poseidon household and estate once his Father died, just as Annabeth would take over Athena's land. It would be another cycle of bitter feuding to be passed down through the centuries._

" _Yes, the last dance," she answered sharply. "Ideally with someone important."_

 _His vibrant eyes glittered in amusement. A strong arm slipped around her narrow waist, pushing a small gasp out of her in surprise. His muscles were firm and steady against the affluent fabrics encasing her lower back. She stilled her expression quickly, as her training over the years taught her._

 _His hand grasped hers the second later, expertly weaving his long fingers through hers. His hand was warm and surprisingly soft. Annabeth reluctantly placed her own hand on his broad shoulder as part of the correct posture. She felt a slight tremor crept down her back at how muscular it was, just as his arm._

" _Your hand is very small and soft," he told her quietly, his green eyes gentle. Annabeth took a second to identify the teasing note in his voice. She refused to answer after that._

 _And they were dancing the waltz, gliding and spinning across the waxed ballroom floor. His arm secured her waist firmly as they twirled and his light movements were as graceful as a swan's. Annabeth did not expect exquisite dancing skills from such a horrid family. Luckily, she took lessons for every form of ballroom dancing since she was small, so they were fairly matched. Annabeth allowed Lord Poseidon to spin her in his arms, her gown's ruffles and lace flaring, and she dared to pull him about as the rhythm sped up._

 _They spun around the other curious couples, perfectly aligned to the beat. He never had a misstep, never hesitated. The whole time, Lord Poseidon's beautifully shaded green eyes were pinned onto hers urgently. The flickering candlelight sometimes cast them in mystery, sometimes lit them up like green twin flames. She saw nothing but sharp concentration and respect swirling among the waves in his irises, though other unreadable emotions lurked in the dark edges. An unfathomable curiosity lingered at the outskirts of her mind._

 _During one hurried section of dancing, a dark, silky lock of hair fell onto his perfectly smooth forehead. Annabeth's fingers twitched, irrationally craving to brush it back into his thick mass of raven hair. He cast a questioning look at her, sensing the tiny movement of her fingers. Surprise blossomed in her mind at how observant he was. Then all thoughts disappeared as he retreated his fingers from hers, leaving her hand feeling strangely empty, and pushed his stray strand of hair backwards. Another awed gasp almost fell away from her lips before she controlled herself with sharp mental rebuking._

 _At the beginning of the dance, whenever he got to grip her waist tightly during a twirl, his lips spread into a wide smirk. Annoyance would spring into her mind and gaze each time. But deeper into the waltz, his lips were almost permanently pursed in concentration, expect to offer her unabashed grins from time to time. She turned over this quality, being focused on dancing, through her head, and couldn't decide what she thought of it._

 _It was a thoroughly elegant dance, including the music, their movements, and the way Lord Poseidon carried himself. Annabeth expected him to ruin the whole dance and secretly wished that he was a clumsy oaf which aristocrats laughed at behind their lacy fans._

 _When the musicians struck the last delicate note, they slowly stepped apart, his fingers tangling with hers for a moment before releasing them. Her cheeks tinged red at the notion that it was on purpose. Lord Poseidon shot her one more frustrating, heartstring-pulling smirk. He bowed lowly, and she hurried to curtsy after him. Her knees barely dipped, however. Annabeth did not consider his ranking high, and of course he was bowing low in a mocking way, which was further proved with his enlarged smirk as straightened._

 _He caught her arm for a second. His fingers easily wrapped around her thin forearm, even through the embroidered sleeve. "See you soon, Lady Athena," he murmured, gazing at her through his lashes. The soft look squeezed her heart almost painfully. Annabeth felt a note of hesitation inside, wondering what to do. She steeled herself and—_

"Miss? Annabeth?" Two concise knocks sounded from the doorway.

Annabeth blearily forced her eyes open. Hazy yellow light from the slowly emerging dawn pushed through her small window and was lighting up her bedroom's floor, leaving some corners still dark.

She lay in bed for a few second, feeling the ache in her feet softly pulse, when her ever-efficient brain reminded her that someone was still waiting outside her door. "Yes?" she called, wincing at how rough and impatient her voice sounded. The musical, birdlike lilt she managed yesterday was completely gone.

"May I come in, Miss? It is Annica."

Ah, the maid. "Yes, of course." Annabeth propped herself up on her bed just as Annica slipped inside, catching her hunched back. Annabeth hurriedly straightened her spine, the familiar posture coming to her easily.

"No need to worry about posture, Miss." Annica smiled, revealing a few missing teeth. Her bright, childlike voice was like a soft duvet in the morning. "I'll never tell."

Annabeth kept her back ruler-straight nonetheless, though she appreciated the sentiment. "Thank you. What do you need?"

Annica's smile faded. "Well, to wake you up, Miss. And your mother wants to see you."

Alarm blared through her mind, and she felt something twisting in her stomach. She swallowed before replying. "I see. How soon?" Her mother would definitely give a specific time, though Annabeth suspected Annica was withholding the information to make her feel better.

The short maid ducked her head. "Twenty minutes, Miss."

Shock ringed through her being. Her eyes went blank for a second before her senses cleared and started calculating. Dressing itself can take twenty minutes, much more if she was trying to impress, which she definitely wanted to when visiting her mother. She gripped her neatly embroidered sheets in her fist in rising panic. "Annica, send for more maids. I'm going to my dressing chamber now." She swept off her bed, trying to look dignified in her sleeping gown and while rushing about. Annica's quick, rhythmic footsteps followed behind her.

She went into her dressing chamber and headed to the giant carved wardrobe, a gift from some other relative she'd never met before. She picked out a stiff, steel-colored gown with endless layers of frilly lace choking up the collar and sleeves, along with an absurdly long train. Her mother would like it.

Neatly dressed maids surrounded her, quickly pulling off her sleeping gown, slipping a clean chemise over her, and then selecting fine silk stockings from a drawer. And then they led her to a thick wooden pole in the center of the room where she automatically sucked in a long breath. A sturdy whalebone corset was fitted around her torso and a maid held up the large needle and thread designed for corsets, flashing her a sympathetic look. She poked the needle into the holes on the back of the corset and yanked the thread _tight_. All the breath was shoved out of her lungs. She gripped the pole so hard her knuckles turned a shade paler than her already-snowy skin. Her flesh and bones creaked as they ever-so-slowly submitted to the V shape the corset forced them into.

The maids didn't pause or even check on her, which she was grateful for since it saved time, and secured a thick bundle of petticoats with so many layers that they almost piled up to her knee around her. Then they slipped the heavy dark gray gown over it all, carefully pulling out the wrinkles from the skirt. Mary, one of her favorite maids, handed her a new pair of gray gloves with seed pearl lining, and offered an understanding smile. Then the rest of the maids bustled her away to the vanity.

There they raked combs through her tangled-up blond hair, and piled it atop her head. After holding the complicated updo with a million pins, they stuck diamond pieces all over her curls so her head glittered as it caught the sunlight. They grabbed similar pieces from her jewelry box and wound then long and clunky ropes of diamonds around her neck and wrists. For a finishing piece, Annica produced a ring with a huge gray diamond the size of a grape and slipped it onto one of her slender, silk-covered fingers.

There was no time for makeup, so as she strode down the hallways to her mother's sitting room, she pinched her cheeks to make them rosy.

When she reached the intricately carved door of the sitting room, she felt her stomach drop suddenly. She took in as big as a breath as her corset allowed her and fixed the silvery-gray door with a determined look. She slowly raised a fisted hand and realized her arm was trembling uncontrollably. If they shook any harder her diamond bracelets would clack against one another and create a garish symphony. She straightened her figure once again and knocked three times: the most efficient way there was.

Immediately a steely voice answered, "Come in." Annabeth tried to decipher any emotions from her mother's voice but it was as monotone and hard as usual. She squared her shoulders, set her lips in a dignified line, and struggled to "glide" into the room, as she was instructed in her training. She dropped into a curtsy, folded her hands, and finally dared to look up.

Athena was perched on a hardbacked armchair with smooth leather covering and gold lining. Her expression was as frozen and stark as usual, with an ever-present glint of arrogance in her stormy eyes. Annabeth tried to read her current, if even existing, emotions. Her elbows lightly touched her plush armrests, instead of her entire arms, which would display all her jewels and wealth. So, she was not in the mood for business nor intimidation. Then again, her delicate jawline was more rigid than usual, like a sharp-edged piece of eggshell. Her own hands, laden with diamond rings but with a particular empty spot on her left ring finger, were holding a cup of tea and the matching saucer. This proved to be slightly more casual than usual. Annabeth even dared to examine her mother's carved, angular features, as this was a tense morning. An image of bright sea-green eyes over a pair of grinning full lips flickered into her mind from before she shoved it away.

Her mother's eyes were as daunting and emotionless as usual. Her slightly upraised nose hinted at disapproval. She felt something slowly shriveling inside her as she continued to see more signs of anger and contempt.

This searching was put to a stop when Athena cleared her throat, less lightly than normal. "Annabeth."

She bowed her head, awaiting further instructions.

"Take a seat." She sensed her mother's gaze barely brush upon her head before leaving. She found her assigned spot in the room, a small loveseat adjacent to Athena's grand throne, and barely touched the soft cushioning. Her spine was so rigid she feared it would release a _crack!_

"Annabeth, who was your partner in the last dance?"

Panic seared her throat. The words tumbled through her head. She overanalyzed them as a byproduct of her nervousness. Mother was not being completely direct, or else she would be infuriated by idiocy. This was fairly upfront, however, so they wouldn't be playing a dangerous game of calculation. Her mother was offering a tiny space of wiggle room. Annabeth tried to rank it on a scale from past experiences and came up with a repeating decimal. Her thoughts moved on. This was only one question away from the impending lecture, so there was no possible relenting. More calculations ran their rounds before she came to the conclusion: Mother was completely furious.

She gulped and slowly raised her eyes to her mother's clear gray ones. She took an imperceptible breath before answering, "Lord Jackson, Poseidon."

Athena raised her chin. "And who is he?"

Annabeth tried not to blanch as a flood of new considerations streamed into her mind. _Focus on your answer_ , she told herself. "Son of the Duke Poseidon, the second most powerful member of the Olympus family. He owns the large and wealthy Neptune estate. Lord Poseidon is this-" she paused for some inexplicable reason, "-family's enemy."

Athena's eyes betrayed nothing. "And?" she said, her icy voice almost quiet.

"My rival in matters of family and title." Her own was flat, too.

She lifted her teacup delicately to her lips. "Precisely," she answered after setting it back down on its saucer. "And yet you spent your last dance of the night, a highly important one to mark a valuable suitor, with him. You had an impeccable list of very well-off suitors on your dance card, all good choices for marriage, but you ruined it with a child of Poseidon!" Her voice rose slightly and grew angry. "The last dance is a very special, perhaps the most important. Do you wish to declare Lord Poseidon as a hopeful suitor?"

Annabeth gazed into her lap and shook her head. Every giddy, swooning feeling from last night dissipated and her loathing towards that family returned.

"Yes, but that message was very clearly conveyed last night! Everyone saw you two in the center. What lady would ever dance with her enemy?" The storms in her eyes crackled with lightning and continued to darken.

Annabeth quickly moistened her lips. "He rudely took my dance card and wrote his name on it and then forced me into dancing, Mother. I did not want to take his dance at all."

Athena's eyes narrowed slightly. "No, of course you did not. Yet you failed to refuse or leave him." As if sensing Annabeth's doubts, she continued. "No matter how impressive someone's title and wealth may be, our family's pride will forever be more of value. You name would remain impervious and unstained if you did step away and dance someone else, perhaps, Luke. But, no, you decided to stir up ideas of disobedience and, worse, a lacking upbringing." Her lips tilted in a scowl.

Annabeth refolded her gloved fingers. Arguments raced into her mind, but she didn't dare talk back. Besides, her mother would eternally outsmart her, even if she spent every waking hour studying.

"My name is stained. My oldest and once-successful daughter was willfully and happily fraternizing with the very people who disgraced this household and caused it so much struggle to remain alive. What respect do we have left from London?" Athena turned her face away, and a sinking feeling opened up in the pit of Annabeth's stomach, ready to swallow her whole.

Many moments passed before Athena turned back. "Annabeth, only three things in a lady are important. Her title, her looks, and her reputation. She cannot survive without even one of those. Expensive estates will fall to you, and so will a very large sum. You are my child," she said this without any emotion whatsoever, "so you take after me. And your reputation? You were a well-mannered lady with talent and grace. You have a very powerful suitor who is almost certain to become your husband, yet many more rich lords wanting your hand. You could've raised Athena to the tip of Olympus." She almost whispered the last part, her eyes glowing. "And yet you danced with your archnemesis, proving yourself to be rebellious and socially inadept and irrational."

The hole in her stomach stretched wider and self-disappointment clogged her river of thoughts. She studied her slippers listlessly.

"I find this completely disgraceful and selfish of you. Without reason, either. No such family in London will approve. Annabeth, this is unspeakably horrible." Her voice smoldered and she leaned forward, breaking her perfect posture, in anger.

Of course, Athena immediately regained her composure. She now spoke crisply enough to cut diamond. "Our family's pride is not yet gone. But do not expect to leave this without any consequence. You must remain the perfect lady and stay far away from Lord Poseidon. I will expect nothing short of flawless from you." She raised Annabeth's chin without any gentleness. Their eyes met, and Athena's were smooth and gray and as disclosed as ever. "There is only one season for you, Annabeth."

-line break-

After one of their maids, Mary Jane, helped her into the main Demeter sitting room, Annabeth had to forcibly prevent herself from sinking into the nearest cushioned chair. Her fingers and feet ached from a week of nonstop pianoforte and dancing lessons and so did her heart from the regular disapproving talks her mother shared with her.

She surreptitiously relaxed her spine and tried to massage her temple through her slippery silk gloves. Thankfully, the ride over wasn't long and her friends themselves were hardly the most ladylike around her. Though the Demeter girls were very well-behaved, which was the main reason Mother even allowed this visit.

"Annabeth, hello!" Miranda, one of Demeter's oldest and most accomplished daughters, gathered her in a formal and sweet-smelling hug. She grasped her hands with fingers as small and delicate as a fairy's. "I am so glad to see you today."

She smiled back, wishing her own smile was as warm and mannered as Miranda's. "As am I. This visit has brought me great pleasure."

"It has with me too. I have been long-awaiting this afternoon."

Katie, another one of Demeter's daughter, stepped up too. "Ah, Annabeth! I haven't seen you in a while."

"Yes, this visit is a perfect time to catch up." They slipped into their seats at Miranda's gesture. "So, has anything particularly interesting happened to you two?"

Katie grinned widely. "Oh, well, there was the debutante ball." They all settled in for long, swoony tales of dancing under candlelight. "I-I shared two dances with Travis. Travis Stoll."

Annabeth leaned in, not even trying to hide her eager smile. "Travis? I had no idea. Then again, Piper has always suspected feelings between you two. I see that she was completely on-point, as usual."

"Oh, yes." Miranda joined in. "She clearly likes him, though they tease and poke fun at each other all the time."

"All the time, indeed."

They spent all of tea discussing their gentlemanly suitors and hopeful futures, and no one brought up Lord Poseidon once. Still, he and his sparkling sea-green eyes remained in her mind.

 **Yay I'm done I have freedom! Aka sleep. Oh wait I need to respond to old reviews. Yeah that doesn't take long. Seriously guys, review I really love them and I post like ten times faster! I don't care if they're like, two words long.** _ **So weird**_ **, for example.** **I mean, I won't object.**

 **JC RH: Wow, that sounded really professional. Well, Percy appeared in the earlier chapter, whaddya think? Okay, I know, it wasn't written awfully well but that's DEFINITELY improving like right now. But you know, thanks for complimenting my stuff anyway.**

 **Guest: It wasn't that bad, right…..? But yeah, suspense makes a story interesting. And I don't usually add too much suspense, only kinda satisfying endings, so I hope you'll enjoy that.**

 **Piggyhero: Ah, my old friend! *does this crazy virtual embrace* Hi. I can't believe you finally reviewed yesssss so happy! Still, I jumped out of my skin when I read it. It was pretty creepy. Even though your death threats usually end in a bunch of arguing on the way to buying food (sound familiar?) they can be startling in all caps in a review! Don't you get alerts? Like sheesh are you too used to my texts?** **I can't wait to see you though.**

 **Well, that's it for now, I hope you liked this long chapter.**

 **Au revoir,**

 **Pride-and-loyalty**


	5. Chapter 5

**Well, hi. Long time no see. *nervous laugh* Okay, I am sincerely sorry for not updating for a WHOLE week. I'm clearly a ridiculous person as I had an entire long break. Sheesh. I'm really sorry, I'm going to avoid that in the future. I'm even going to set a tentative deadline of posting every Wednesday. Yes, I said tentative. So don't count on it or anything.**

 **Anyway, I know you guys may be a bit confused with my story right now. I know, I throw a lot of stuff at you guys and disappear off the face of the earth for a month. Not pleasant. Here's a quick recap and explanation, it should be pretty easy to follow…..**

 **1\. In my little AU, the main parent's name is turned into their children's family name. Therefore, their house, family, and estate is all named that one parent. And, here's the awkward part, their family name is part of their surname. So Annabeth will be Annabeth Chase Athena. Or, the shorter version, Lady Athena.**

 **2\. Also, there is a difference for Poseidon himself. He will be referred to as, The Duke Poseidon, since he is a duke in my story. Since Percy is his son, he is Lord Poseidon. A duke's daughter is called a lady. Since Ares is also a duke, Clarisse will be Lady Ares.**

 **3\. No, this is not historically accurate. Family names were actual last names. But, titles and names do get passed down among whoever's children, and if any of the Olympians had last names then Percy could be called something other than Lord Poseidon. Alas, RR did not write an AU. Thank goodness, that would be weird.**

 **That's it. This all will stop being confusing when Annabeth gets closer to Percy *wiggles eyebrows* and simply calls him Percy. See, she doesn't know him at all, and he's also a pretty important figure in their circle, so she has to refer to him as his fancy schmancy title.**

 **Last thing. For some weird reason, back in this time, handsome could be used on girls. It means "beautiful" with them. Yeesh, that is a LONG A/N.**

 **Enjoy!**

Annabeth excitedly pressed her face to the smudgy carriage window, her eyes analyzing all the passing buildings. None of them had gray and black bricks, or a very flashy gold doorframe. Finally, her carriage came to a stop at the salt-and-pepper driveway. Annabeth hopped out, barely waiting for the footman to help her, and strode up to the door. She was mostly likely grinning improperly.

After a few sharp knocks, the heavy-set wood door swung open. A lithe, green-eyed girl stared back at her. Annabeth didn't have a chaperone beside her, and she wasn't offering a calling card, so the nymph-like servant girl was probably surprised.

"Oh, hello. I am here for Miss Thalia's party." She tried to look nonthreatening, since the girl servants in Zeus' house were all easily scared.

The girl coughed into her delicate fist. "Annabeth, I am Juniper!"

Her brain scrambled to find to locate the name. Ah, one of her many childhood friends. She was very similar to the other "tree nymph", as everyone called them, servants. "Oh, Juniper! Hello! I am so sorry, I did not recognize you after this time."

Juniper's pale cheeks reddened slightly. "It's fine. Come inside, please, the party has barely begun." She easily took Annabeth's hand and led her done the winding, lavish halls of the Zeus house.

After her feet were tired of trampling through thick and lush Persian carpets they finally ended up at a tall, grand hall. The ceiling stretched up for stories, with a dripping crystal chandelier throwing pieces of light onto their heads and the smooth marble floor. The tall, many-paneled windows had their deep velvet drapes drawn back, displaying a gorgeous garden and miniature pond. A giant seating area was arranged off to the side by a small brazier. The center of the room was dominated with a long, pine table set with sliver cutlery, fine lace napkins, and golden candelabras. It was all expensive, but not too showy, just like how Thalia held her parties. There wasn't even a tablecloth on the dining table.

Just as she entered, an entity of people swept off their comfy seats to greet and look over at her. Thalia herself rushed over and encased her in a warm hug. Annabeth felt herself utterly at peace in the arms of her almost-sister. Thalia pulled back, grinning but softly searching her face. She set a few long fingers on her cheek. "Well, I know your Season just began. How was it?"

Thalia hated men always, and normally she could make a childish face at any mention of suitors, so it was really kind of her to ask Annabeth. "Well, it was alright. I danced with a lot of nice suitors, and Luke."

Thalia's electric blue eyes shone with a new light. Annabeth was unsure if she ever liked Luke, but if she did Annabeth would gladly back up for her two older, more mature almost-siblings to get married. However, she always expressed approval of him and her, so Annabeth guessed that she didn't. "That's brilliant. You could have a perfect family with him. Think of your kids, the cleverest in the circle!"

Annabeth blushed, just as any lady would at the mention of kids with a potential suitor. "Maybe," she hedged. "But there was an interruption—"

A tall, extraordinarily beautiful girl appeared at their elbow. Her warm brown eyes glittered excitedly. "Yes, it's a huge deal. Percy came up to her, signed his name on her dance card without permission, and swept her onto the dance floor! They were making eyes at each other the whole time!"

Thalia turned an amused gaze onto Annabeth, who was reddening into a bright, bright red. "Ah, a rebellious romance with the mysterious and cocky archnemesis. Aren't there millions of books about that. But I never pegged you as that type."

Annabeth raised her gloved hands in defense. "Silena means swept, as in, forcibly pushed into the crowd of people. I did not make any eyes. Maybe Lord Posi—he did, being, indeed, cocky, but I certainly did not. I was struggling to get out of his arms."

Silena flexed her thin, lace-draped arm. "Yes, his very muscular ones."

Annabeth's cheeks felt like they were getting burnt. She decided to not answer. "It was horrible, Thalia! I'm ruined now, all because he decided to saunter over and steal my marriage prospects."

Thalia was still smirking. "You're not ruined, Annabeth. Your reputation is too polished to even dent. No need to dramatize the Season anymore."

That was an entirely new perspective, even if Thalia was very exaggerative and normally without a care in the world. "Well, I still can't believe he wanted to dance with me. He was purposely trying to mess things up."

Silena smiled the classic Aphrodite girl smile: all perfect white teeth displayed with their full lips turning up into a slight smirk. "Well, perhaps he danced with you to gain your attention. Or even, affection."

Annabeth gaped unbecomingly. "What? Him-Percy-no, Lord Poseidon-whatever, wanting my _affection_?" She almost dropped to the gleaming floor in shock. "Why would he like me? I'm his nemesis! Our family has a generation-long feud! I am meant to have strife with him once our parents are gone! How, no, why would he ever consider my-my…" she didn't dare finish the sentence.

Silena swooped in. "Your heart? Annabeth, not everyone thinks in terms of rules and regulations. Especially not the heart." Her voice tilted to a singsong for the last part. "Perhaps he likes your character and looks."

She felt a strong urge to cover her face with her lacy fan. "My looks?"

Piper walked, no, glided over. "Well, hello. Did I just hear you ladies talk about Annabeth's rather stunning looks?"

She ducked her heads, unused to the compliments. "No, no, I'm rather plain. Not handsome like you two."

"Are you talking about our mother?" Silena laughed, the sound like the trill of bells. "Annabeth, dear, every lady from Olympus is handsome. It's all part of our wretched curse." The last part was teasing.

"Luckily, then, I am exempt." Thalia smirked at them.

"Oh, please, Beryl was famous for her beauty. And you are definitely a very pretty lady on your own," Piper said, poking her arm.

"Definitely. The ton would chase you across London in all their rich aristocracy for your hand, even without the wealth." Annabeth looped her arm in hers.

And then, all their playfulness was severed off. A tall, somber figure slipped into the hall, and his presence was so alluring everyone turned his direction. He swept of his dark hood, and a pair of sea-green eyes pierced right through the room, onto Annabeth's.

She felt a bit faint. She debated breaking their locked eyes or rushing out of the room or even stepping forward. All of those were ridiculous, of course. She couldn't even pull her eyes from those burning emerald gems.

They were as unreadable as her mother's, but they were certainly not cold and glass-like; Lord Jackson could never be as heartless as her mother. This realization was startingly. First, she called him Jackson, and she rated his personality without knowing him at all. But those sea-green eyes hid something special, something that, if she reached beneath those swirling waves, she could pull out and be rewarded with treasure. She was completely sure of it. And the way he gently handled her, brushing her across the polished marble floor during their dance, spoke of possible kindness.

Her thoughts were cut short when he cocked his head slightly. A flurry of panicked emotions slipped through her heart at the curious look in his eyes. He took a step forward searchingly. Annabeth's entire body was braced.

But then something cloudy flitted across those emerald irises. He turned and strode past her to his friends. They greeted him eagerly. Like a spell was broken, everyone turned back to their company and continued talking. Piper and Silena started chatting up a storm of white noise around her.

But Annabeth was all too aware of his long, lean body slip past hers, close enough that if she reached out, she could touch his arm. But she didn't, of course. She just subtly swiveled so she could watch him embrace Jason, his cousin and Thalia's brother and then a few other boys he was always friends with. She stretched her neck forward to hear his slow, "Hello." Contentment trickled through her mind at his full lips moving.

She immediately took a step back and shook her head, trying to clear it. That hazy moment, where all her attention was trained onto him and her heart beat like a drum, was so thrilling but _completely undeserved_. Nervousness racked through her mind. She clenched her jaw in worry. Where were these traitorous thoughts coming from? How could she possibly like him? He wasn't even good-mannered or polite or nice or… Her mental rant broke off in annoyance.

It was the constant talk of him around her. Him as her possible runaway lover, utter archnemesis, and so on. She accepted the excuse, clearing her mind of these shadowy thoughts, and slipped back into the conversation with Piper and Silena and Thalia.

They were talking about the destined-to-be-married couples. Piper and Jason was on the very top of the list. Her friend was blushing profusely by the end of their conversation, when Thalia glanced at the carved grandfather clock and announced that dinner was beginning.

She was allowed to choose her seat, as Thalia would never bother to personally monogram name cards for each seat, so she found a space between Piper and Thalia. But to her surprise, Thalia sat next to her brother, who, being best friends with Lord Jackson, was next to _him._ In conclusion, Percy was two seats away from her.

Every time his deep voice sounded out, laughing at Leo's jokes, announcing news he found out, and, of course, discussing girls he wanted to court. Yes, he was loud and brash about that. His gaze even flickered over to her once in a while, burning through her head, and she felt herself blushed deep red at his attention.

It was almost suffering. Her heart would not stop thumping at his near presence, and she only half followed the conversation her friends were having around her. She managed to shake him off for some moments and chatted along with the newest developments along London, and even enjoyed the delectable heaps of food that were served, but she was still conscious of Lord Jackson's every word a few chairs from hers. How she managed to keep track of the largest and newly bought estates Thalia was discussing along with Percy and Leo's debate about most pretty girls in London was a mystery.

When the last plates were cleared, the crowd shifted back over to the hodge-podge of chairs by the hearth. She selected a chair turned away from him to talk with Piper late into the night, and he managed to disappear off her mind as they gossiped about all the childhood friendships in the Olympus circle.

And then the dinner party was over. They all stood in the Zeus' driveway, picked up by their carriages one by one. Suddenly he turned and his eyes found hers. They were like round green lights in the night. Her breath hitched and the whole world seemed to stop.

No matter how long she waited, he didn't look away. Her carriage arrived with a lot of rustling among the pebbles of the driveway, but neither of them turned. And even as she boarded her carriage those crystalline sea-green eyes remained on hers, and they kept her warm throughout the chilly night.

 **Ahhhhhhhh I'm done YE-AYYYYYYYYYYYYY! Okay this is a shorty weirdo zero-dialogue/description chapter but its okay. I'm not going to write super late at night again (hopefully) because that's bad for writing quality.**

 **Anyway, yeah, I know this is moving slowly, interesting stuff will happen sound. I'll also make up for the low quality here with some good stuff next chapter, plus the usual Percabeth. So stick around, please.**

 **Also, review, I want to answer your questions and talk and stuff.**

 **JC RH: Woah double review yay! I'm so happy you saw talent in me. Thanks for saying this is well-written because I did work hard on last chapter. (Not this one:)) But that's so nice. I seriously adored your review. Sorry for the confusion. And the slow updating. Not anymore, I hope.**

 **Guest: DOUBLE DOUBLE REVIEW! Wow. Hi, thanks for saying cool chapter to a very lecture-y one. And for answering me. Yeah, I try to respond to reviews cuz they're so awesome and nice. And OF COURSE I read them they mean everything to me because I know that someone out there is appreciating my work and enjoying it. And that's like one of the only reasons I'm on this website. Thanks for being so nice.**

 **Piggyhero! :): Well, hello. Nice to see you again. I do tell you when I post. Like, the next day. I barely put any Tratie but yeah I love it too get ready to see a bunch in a future. Okay, I can't kick Athena out, that would be a bit awkward, but I'll do something similar. And actually resolve stuff in my story. Also, sorry for being a huge slowpoke. I will hurry up and stop being a slow updater. That makes the plot slow, actually. I'll see you soon, hopefully.**

 **Au revior,**

 **Pride-and-loyalty**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone, how are you? It's time for a new chapter. I have the optimal writing conditions right now: it's the weekend, I'm starting like five days earlier from the actual posting day (jk, more like three), and "Love Story" by Taylor Swift is going on in my head. By the way, that song totally fits this story. Seriously, almost every single detail. And have you seen the music video?**

 **Also, I fixed Chapter 5 a tiny bit so Annabeth's emotions weren't so crazy and heightened for no reason. Yeah, sorry for messing it up. If you guys are really bored, go back and reread it. But if you're new, hi hi hi, thank you so much for reading. Anyway, that's about it.**

 **Enjoy!**

"Annabeth?" Malcolm frowned in confusion once she lifted the parasol over her head. His eyes followed the lacy swirls on top of the stiff, burgundy fabric before meeting hers. "Why did you bring a parasol out here?"

Her gloved fingers tightened around the handle. She told herself to keep her voice still. "A lady always covers herself from the sun whence she goes outdoors," she informed him, her voice unintentionally darkening around the end.

Malcolm cocked his head at her. "Yeah, but it's just us out here in our own garden."

Out of all days, why did her brother have to pick this one to be so obtuse? "I must obey rules at all times for my lessons." If Madame Stevens even saw a hint of bronze in her "falling complexion", or heard a tiny bit of deepness in her voice, she would pile a dozen more books atop her head or press her spine against a ruler another hour.

"You always needed to do that, but it never stopped you before." Malcolm grinned cheekily. A memory of young Thalia, Luke, and her running through the woods in untucked and stained shirts appeared in her mind. She didn't even need to wear corsets at that age.

Annabeth could no longer answer. She shook her head and slowly hissed, "Please do not ruin this time we have together. I have a long afternoon of classes afterwards."

Understanding finally filled Malcolm's metal-colored pupils. "Oh, sorry."

She shook her head again and gestured ahead of them, into the neat garden. "Shall we walk?"

He held out his arm, and she took it. They stepped onto the sun-bleached cobblestone path, watching the rows of colorful lilies and irises sway in the breeze.

Malcolm interrupted the silence with some light conversation. They chatted on about the giant estate beside them, Atlas, and how it was highly priced but many famous characters were vying for it. Malcolm brought up the many girls he courted and his decisions for marriage. Annabeth would definitely miss him when he left, but she had plenty of opportunities to visit him. They also talked about the upcoming events they were invited to and shared stories about the hosts. Malcolm knew the older siblings of Annabeth's friends, so she learned a lot about the similarities and peculiarities of these big families.

Neither of them discussed the more serious and impending matter, like Annabeth's season or future marriage prospects. The light conversation felt like such a soothing balm to her weariness.

"I feel like courtship is such a long process." Malcolm reached out and brushed the rough trunk of an olive tree in the small grove they were passing through. "I still have yet to get close to some girls I like, and so much time has passed but marriage is still in the faraway future."

"It is a complicated system," she murmured. "It works, though."

"In which way?" Malcolm regarded her curiously. They were, once again, in an intense conversation.

"I suppose it is rather romantic. And the time set makes sure that the couple knows each other well before they got married."

"Romantic?" Malcolm smiled down at her. "I didn't know you were interested in such things."

Annabeth blushed slightly, crossing her arms. "Isn't that important for marriage, though? Isn't there a need to love your spouse?"

"Yes, but there is no objection to marrying someone for their money. That is still common."

She stared up at the pale blue sky, framed with leafy olive branches. "Yes, of course. Still, it is best to spend the rest of one's life living with someone they actually loved." An image of Luke popped into mind. She already expected him to be sharing a household with her. To have him hug her every morning, comfort her if she was sad: it was everything she wanted. She was rather lucky that he was also wealthy and born in the Olympus circle.

"I agree, dearly. I hope we will both get that. But does it need to be so complicated? What if it was a deemed betrothal, or they were already lovebirds? Do we all must wait until the Season finishes to get married?"

An answer immediately came to her. "Well, how can we even be sure that we're ready for marriage? And what if those lovebirds made a mistake and they never truly liked one another?"

They were both silent. Annabeth wagered that he was also thinking about their family. Olympus had a curse. Whenever any of their parents fell in love, they would rush to get married, give birth to a single child, and then something horrible would cause the young couple to split up. For Annabeth, Athena and Fredrick got divorced.

But for Malcolm, his father was rowing down the Thames when he disappeared, presumably drowned. For a lot of their friends they had only a single parent, too. Thalia's mother was a heavy drinker whenever Zeus was too busy for her, and once she drove a carriage by herself and was killed in a crash. It was horrible for young Thalia and Jason. Annabeth rarely dared to complain about Athena because of them.

"Athena and Sir Chase did love another," he whispered softly. "They did."

She sighed and leaned on his arm. "Thank you."

"And I don't think it's that easy to make a mistake about love, Annabeth."

The words imprinted themselves onto her heart. Arguments raged from the back of her mind, but she didn't voice any of them. Malcolm was right. Even if those lovebirds did get divorced, what propelled them to get an early marriage was certainly true.

They quietly strolled through the grove for some more time before Malcolm finally spoke up. "I've been avoiding this, but it is rather important. Your last dance was with Lord Perseus Jackson," he stately flatly.

Annabeth nodded, embarrassed. She waited to see what Malcolm would say next.

"I know you have a lot of suitors. I know some may seem charming and sweet and a perfect husband. But it never that simple."

She shifted her parasol. She didn't expect this.

"Be careful, please. Watch your suitors carefully. Learn about them fully before daring to devote your marriage vows to them. I am not just warning you against Lord Jackson here. I am referring to all the men who want your hand."

"Malcolm, I'll be fine. I know all the people who will court me, since we all grew up together."

He glanced over at her seriously. "But people change, and you don't know everyone. And you'll have a lot of suitors. That's not easy to deal with."

She uncomfortably fiddled with the lace sewn onto her ivory-colored gloves. "Yes, I know. I can take care of myself. I won't agree to everyone, of course. Only the ones that I truly know."

"I really hope so. But don't simply assume that. You need to take the time to find out about them. If someone wants you only for your money, they are not a good option."

She sighed in exasperation. "Alright, I will be very careful. Is that enough?"

Malcolm bit his lip and looked over. "Annabeth, I'm only saying this because I care. I can't always be there. And I don't want to find out you married a horrible person. And I am definitely worried about Lord Jackson."

She pursed her lips. "I know. I do not like him, Malcolm. I was forced into it." Her voice was monotone for repeating the same things over and over. "I sincerely hope he does not try and court me."

"Good," Malcolm responded. "Thank you for listening. You know I do care, right?"

"Yes, I do. I shan't trust ruffians who want my money." She said teasingly, smiling up at him. She couldn't find it in her to be annoyed when Malcolm was so kind. "Can we head back now?"

He nodded. "Of course." And they strode back down the path.

-line break-

"Mother, am I still having languages lessons this afternoon?" It was not exactly proper for a lady to ask questions, but she really did want to find out where they were going and inquiring about her classes couldn't possibly be a crime.

Athena flickered her stony gaze back onto her daughter for a second before turning around and continuing to stride down the wide marble hall. Scratch that, her mother was _gliding_ quickly. Annabeth was really starting to wonder how all the ladies around her could do it but she remained walking. Perhaps their slippers had wings and hers contained too many smudges for that.

"No, you will not have them this afternoon. Your sewing lessons at night will be cut short in order to fit in your French classes. Do not be impatient Annabeth," the rebuke was carried out emotionlessly, as usual.

Annabeth still found this as a small victory. Her whole afternoon is empty of dull French classes with the ancient Marquis Jacques. She allowed herself a moment of joy before trying to discern what Athena could've planned. Some strange exercise? Tea with a well-behaved girl from another wealthy family? Her mother's ways remained as mysterious as the moon.

They slowly reached a small room on the first floor. A servant posted beside the floor bowed lowly before them. He didn't greet them at all; definitely low-ranking. So this was not an extremely important room.

When Athena crisply pushed the door open, Annabeth changed her mind. Tall, vibrant bouquets of beautiful flowers crowded around the room's surfaces. Since it was fall, Annabeth knew that the giant displays of multicolored flora were costly packages bought from hothouses. It seemed like Athena was trying to start her own with the amount of stacked and paper-wrapped flower pieces.

"Mother, what is this?" She questioned, forgetting to keep her voice soft.

Her mother didn't respond for a second, but stared at the roomful of flowers for a second, her eyes gleaming. Finally, she answered. "These are gifts from your suitors, Annabeth, along with invitations. They were all sent the morning after your debut ball, but I sent them back so you could focus on your lessons. Now, after plenty of rescheduling and damage control, I have gotten your suitors to resend their packages."

Annabeth gasped a little in uncontrollable delight. She even considered thanking her mother, informally, for her help. But only for a second. "Many thanks, Mother. May I read the invitations?"

Athena waved a hand at the pieces, looking impatient. She was never a huge fan of romance. In fact, she said the only reason she ever gave birth to any of her children was because there was a "connection between great minds". "Just select your favorite invitations and I will pick one for you."

Annabeth rushed into the room. This is what should've greeted her the morning after the debutante ball, if her mother hadn't summoned her. She should've been breathing in the sweet smells of the flower bouquets, giggling at the private jokes her suitors had written on the notes, and blushing when she saw a particularly large and fancy bouquet one of her favorite suitors had brought for her.

But if didn't actually happen that way. The timing was off, and there was not a hopeful and excited sense in the air. Also, the invitations were all placed in a neat stack on a side table, probably courtesy of Athena. She could only guess which bouquet came from who.

The giant centerpiece was probably from one of the Apollo boys she danced with. That house was lavish when it came to romance. She guessed that the elegant combination of camellias and white lilies was from the shy Demeter boy. She even vaguely remembered Miranda telling her that the Demeter house only used hothouses in the dead of winter since their green thumbs could coax beautiful flowers even in the chilly fall. The purple-blue lily of the valley was probably from the mortal she danced which, because they only dared to send simple gifts. The honeysuckle bunch, also very simple, was probably from Chris. The gold-dotted orchids, lilacs, and white carnations also looked like it came from the Demeter gardens. In fact, the type of flowers and the arrangement felt very familiar, like it was from a girl she knew… Annabeth's brain easily connected the dots. Travis didn't know what to send, so he asked Katie for help.

She smiled to herself at the cute pair as she headed to the back of the room. There, in a clear glass vase, was a giant bunch of pale, pink-tipped tulips. She smiled faintly in reminiscence.

" _If you were a flower, you would be the most beautiful one ever. No one would dare to take you, but everyone would come and look."_

 _Annabeth blushed and swatted his shoulder, with some difficulty. Luke was much bigger than her. "No, I would be a simple little flower. A few people would come and admire me, maybe, but no one would think I was pretty enough to take."_

 _Luke's sky-colored eyes were serious. "Yes, you would be a simple flower, but still beautiful. And everyone would admire your purity."_

" _How?"_

 _He smiled down at her. "A tulip is rather simple, just a few tall petals. But it is still pretty." He plucked a small, yellowy-orange one and handed it to her. "Just like you."_

This bouquet was, no doubt, from Luke. She leaned in and sniffed them, the velvety petals brushing her nose as they shivered. They were so beautiful.

She went over to the side table to flip through the invitations. They were all neatly written on small, crisp pieces of beige paper. She eagerly scanned them, trying to find a particular one. But even when she held Luke's note in her hand, the searching ache still remained inside her gut.

Annabeth, confused, pushed the yearning away and studied the card. Luke's neat, square handwriting was a familiar voyager from her childhood. It carefully spelled out a request for a walk along the Thames. Annabeth selected a few other promising invitations and handed them to Athena. Of course, her mother bid her permission to go on that walk with Luke. She sent back a response, and, half an hour later, Luke was on their doorstep.

By the time he knocked on their door, Annabeth was dressed in a faintly gray gown with ruffled sleeves and pearls looped around her neck and wrists. She had a pair of dangling diamond earrings and one of Athena's old golden rings slipped over her patterned lace gloves. She looked like a young girl perfectly ready to be courted. Inside, she was a complete bundle of nervous.

When the butler led Luke inside, he stopped in front of her and gaped slightly. "Annabeth?" he breathed in surprise.

She blushed happily. Smoothing down her skirts, she modestly answered, "Oh, this is just something plain."

"No, not the dress," he gestured at her stiff hairdo, the elaborate hat resting upon it, and the parasol she still had in her hands. "I never expected you to be so _fancy_."

The layers of paint and whitening makeup on her face felt heavier than before. She had gotten the same reaction from her brother earlier. She wasn't just being the perfect lady now, she was being the over-obedient and rule-conscious lady. She tugged on the dark veil cascading down her hat over her face. "Well, I am now," she said brusquely. "And it is a rather sunny day. I don't want to ruin my skin."

Luke looked at her questioningly. She just shook her head. By now, the maids were starting to stare. "Well, good afternoon, Annabeth." He bowed and kissed her gloved hand. The touch of his lips through the lace of her gloves startled her a little.

"Good afternoon to you too, Lord Castellan." She curtsied elegantly. "It is my pleasure to see you."

"It is my pleasure, as you look so stunning. Shall we go to the Thames for a walk, milady?" He held out his arm, and her elbow fit snugly in his. They boarded a small carriage, one of Annabeth's older brothers following them silently, and started out. Inside the thin satin-covered walls, Luke took her hands. "Are you alright, Beth? Please, be honest."

She looked out the window. "Yes, I am. Don't worry." She directed those words at him meaningfully. "It is truly nothing."

"I am relieved to hear that. So how are you today?"

"Well, I just received an invitation to spend the afternoon with my close friend." She smiled up at him. "It is becoming a rather enjoyable day."

He grinned at her. "I am very happy to hear that."

Once their carriage had bumped over the rocky road and taken a turn onto the Thames' shores, they all exited, and Luke offered to be the one to help Annabeth out. His large hand around hers as she gracefully stepped out of the carriage felt warm and comforting. He held her hand for a few minutes, smiling at her, before gently releasing it and holding out his arm. "Are you ready for a walk?"

Annabeth propped her parasol, this time peach with lace draping down from the edges, onto her shoulder and shuffled her boots against the paved cement floor, trying to steady her footing. Normally she wore slippers, but the delicate silk would easily get stained by all the dirt outdoors.

"Why, of course I am." She carefully slipped her arm into his, hoping to get the positioning just right. Their interlocked arms, Luke's much larger than hers, always looked like an image of a steady family to her.

They began to stroll forward, Annabeth's older brother soundlessly following them. His name was Andrew, and he was engaged to a nice Aphrodite girl, but otherwise she didn't know him very well. Annabeth was grateful for him, though, because if Malcolm did not have a party to attend to, he would be memorizing their every move.

It was always so easy to chat with Luke. He would bring up difficult issues for adult people his age, and all Annabeth had to do was listen and collect the information inside her brain in case she ever needed it. And what made him special was how he actually understood her, and how smart she was, so he wouldn't shy away from complicated topics.

"You see, it is hard to determine what is just. Sir Leonardo's father had been missing for two decades, so the estate was put up for sale. Then Sir Walden bought it and used it for five years until Sir Leonardo came across some old papers. It is rather hard to tell who the estate should go to." Luke gestured empathically as he described the situation to her. He knew all the news because his family was a traveler type that heard all sorts of information on their journeys.

Annabeth studied the scattered blanket of dead, fallen leaves in front of her. They ranged from a deep brown to a flaming ochre and crunched softly under her boots. Meanwhile, her brain was whirring. How long ago was Sir Leonardo's father legally holding the estate? What did the sale go like? "How can the contracts Sir Leonardo found be valid if the estate already belongs to someone else?"

Luke cocked a blond eyebrow at her. "Interesting question, Annabeth. That depends on how valid Sir Walden's contracts are, since the sale was held by a nonrelative. But I didn't mean to involve you in this or anything. It is a rather bothersome manner."

Annabeth blushed at her meddling. Asking too-deep questions usually stopped the flow of their light conversation. "Well, that is difficult. I hope it is resolved soon."

With that, Luke moved onto another topic. "Do you know about Lord Barcelo? The one who married into Olympus a few years ago?"

She nodded. It was a particularly impressive feat that left everyone in shock for a week. Annabeth had no idea that was even allowed for people in her generation.

"He was caught with another mortal woman while he was supposed to be buying things for his children."

Annabeth gasped. A pale red leaf fluttered down beside her, and she let out an uncontrollable chuckle. "Wow. Lord Barcelo is going to be in _big_ trouble."

Luke smiled. "Yes. The Barcelo name is blackened to all of us now. Young Olympus children are being told by their nannies, 'If you marry a mortal, the curse will fall on you too!'"

Annabeth laughed again. Their family could be so dramatic sometimes. "No doubt every single one of them believes that. We were taught something similar, too."

"Well, my brothers always overreacted at the sight of any mortal girl. No, that's just them being plain simpleminded."

She grinned up at Luke. She greatly enjoyed it when he was being amusing, even if it dragged a lot of unladylike laughter out of her that her silent brother would undoubtably report to Athena about. "I was just told: other people are dumb, but mortals the most."

Luke laughed, the warm sound like a familiar nursey rhyme to her. "I wouldn't expect anything else from your household."

Their conversation was much, much lighter for the rest of the afternoon. Annabeth felt a bit guilty for pulling him away from his usual topics of discussion, but there was some appreciation for talking about things they could equally join in.

-line break-

"I know you don't particularly want to hear me go on about this, but," Piper dramatically straightened up, her back curving, and held up her fan to her chin, "Jason is absolutely the dreamiest person ever."

Annabeth smiled over at her friend. She'd heard this from her quite regularly, but it was worth it to see the shine in Piper's kaleidoscope eyes.

"He always talks to me softly, and holds me so gently, and looks out for my every need. And he's so responsible. A bunch of servants and his father's workers came to him for help, and he easily directed them what to do. And he looks so good in dark overcoats." She sighed happily.

"I see," she answered, amused. She grabbed a crusty croissant from the dessert platter and broke off a piece. The Aphrodite house was always well-stocked with goods from France, the fashion hotspot of the world. In fact, the whole mansion should just be a package with the French postal stamp.

"Seriously. He's a natural-born leader. I can rely on him for anything, even if it's help with getting a stain out of muslin cloth." Piper grinned excitedly. "And he's just so nice. Whenever Leo bothers him, he never snaps at him, he just sits there and listens. And when I sprained my ankle, he offered to carry me!"

"Ah, the classic gentleman move. I am not surprised."

"No, oh, it wasn't classic at all. My dress was twice the size of him, and we were both holding armfuls of apples." Piper swirled her ceramic spoon around in her tea, staring off into space as she reminisced.

"Apples? Sounds completely untraditional to me. Do tell some more."

Piper grinned. "He didn't want to be traditional. We're-we're the predetermined couple. A powerful Zeus boy and a pretty Aphrodite girl. We would raise a perfect household. And we've known each other forever, so everyone says we look like a couple." A fierce expression surfaced. "But we're not just that, you know? Not a product made from pressure and expectations. Jason is way more sensitive than some run-of-the-mill leader. And I'm too, well, rebellious to be a plain Aphrodite girl."

"I prefer feisty." Annabeth smirked at her friend.

"Yeah, okay. And we actually care about each other, and not the fake version." Her fists clenched in passion.

Annabeth's heart squeezed at the emotion brimming in Piper's speech. She always knew that her best friend cared deeply about Jason, but this was just touching. She felt inspired tears probing at her retinas.

Piper breathed in slowly. "Okay, that was perhaps too serious for this occasion." They both let out breathy, relieved laughs.

Annabeth placed a bare hand on Piper's shoulder. Only around the people closest to her did she ever take off her gloves. "No, it was very pleasant to hear. I know how much you love Jason. I want only happiness for both of you."

"Thank you, Annie. You don't know how happy I am to hear that." Piper softly smiled up at her. Her own gloveless hands found hers and squeezed.

The moment slowly passed and they straightened up, coincidentally in tandem. Annabeth turned to the plump, shell-shaped madeleines on the ceramic dessert platter and popped one into her mouth, letting out an accidental "mmmhhhf" in delight. The fluffiness and the brilliant combination of sugar and eggs played an exquisite harmony on her tongue. The golden, ridged cakes were her absolute favorite.

"Ooh, those were freshly shipped from France. Right after they were baked, they were surrounded with coals to keep them warm and sent over."

"Oh, wow." She bit into a second madeleine with a new appreciation for it. "They taste incredible."

"No one else in this house will no touch them. They have too much sugar in them. And, well, it is the Season. All of my sisters want to look good during their time just in case someone else's suitor is particularly handsome and rich. Even the ones that are too young or old to be part of this Season."

Annabeth laughed. "I thought they wanted to look good every minute of every day."

"True, but they try to look especially good now." Piper shamelessly shoved another pale gold cake into her mouth.

"Honestly, my siblings told me to keep my suitors out because courting men are disruptive."

"Well, if someone wants to win your hand, they will certainly have to try very hard to get through your heart of stone." Piper poked her arm teasingly. "But everyone says its worth it for your beauty."

Annabeth flushed, feeling an urge to cover herself with her fan. "I highly doubt it. The people who say that need to clean their spectacles."

"I thought your family taught you to have pride. Where's your pride in your elegant beauty? I mean, you look like you should be posing for a painting named, 'The Flawless Lady'."

Annabeth tilted her face down in embarrassment, but she couldn't help laugh at her friend. "That is such an absurd title. Only some old, lonely man would buy that painting. And I was taught to be proud of my intelligence and abilities, not my looks." _Otherwise I would be even more of a failure to the Athena family,_ she thought darkly.

"Well, you should. 'A woman's greatest asset is her face, and then the things underneath' is the changed version of what Mother says."

"Your mother would say 'A woman only needs her looks', Piper. I don't see where the 'things underneath' came from."

Piper laughed loudly. "I agree. Well, there is the heart. We need to love people, well, ideally, anyway."

The complexities of the Aphrodite house and their corrupted beliefs shouldn't have been funny, but they were. She tried to hide her laughter by eating another madeleine. She was going to bust her corset at this rate.

"Honestly, most of my siblings believe in attraction and charm, not love." Piper propped her head against the cushioned chair back, shifting her pinned-up hair. "It's horrible."

Annabeth's mind suddenly jumped to a topic she'd been avoiding for a while: Lord Perseus Jackson. She saw him smirking down at her in the twinkling ballroom of the Westfield Manor, and taking her hand with arrogant ease. Annoyance rippled across her mind, but when she imagined the rough touch of his hand, her temperature rose. The unreasonable emotions just fed fuel to her anger. He was all charm and completely incapable of love. "That sounds like Lord Jackson," she muttered. "He's just poking fun at me."

Piper studied her, a smile dancing on her full lips. "Well, I don't know, Jason told a lot about him. I think he's more than just pretentious."

She refused to budge in her opinion. "Well, then, perhaps he is nice to his best friend, but he still likes to tease an unparticular lady with little relation to him."

Her friend laughed amicably. "Pardon me for saying this, but I think you should wait before condemning him. I trust Jason's taste in friends."

Piper was right. Jason was incredibly caring and reliable. He wouldn't pick an ostentatious, overly smug person to be his closest friend without reason.

"We'll see," she stated flatly, dipping the rounded head of a madeleine into some jam. The sweet taste couldn't erase the bitter memories of Lord Jackson, but they did draw all her temporary focus onto the magical delicacies.

-line break-

Two hours later, Annabeth was pulling her fur-trimmed satin coat tighter around herself as she made her way down the windy lawn. The icy breezes were finally cut off once the butler shut the front door behind them.

"How was tea with Lady McLean?" He questioned, taking her coat and scarf.

Annabeth absorbed the warm heat from the many hearths of the Athena mansion before responding. "It was rather fine, thank you for asking."

"Would you like anything else before going preparing to sleep? A glass of milk, a warm pillow?"

"No, thank you." She smiled at him. "Just call Annica so she can help me get ready."

The maid almost immediately rushed over, beaming. "Miss! How are you?"

"I'm fine, thank you. I would like to retreat to my bedchamber now."

"Yes. I will bring up the water for your bath." Regular hot baths were an additional luxury in winter, though not for most of London. Annica curtsied and hurried in the direction of the kitchens.

The butler walked her upstairs, where her personal maids stood waiting to disassemble her clothes. Finally, she was left alone. She stood by the hearth, barefoot, waiting for her bath to drawn. Her spine was relaxed a bit and she could abandon the formal, polite speech.

Someone knocked on the door. She expected it to be Annica, ready to take her to her bath, so she turned and said, "Come in."

A small, pimply-faced boy stood in the doorway, fidgeting nervously. "I'm delivering a special gift," he whispered. He handed her a flower and raced off unprofessionally.

Annabeth frowned his way before looking over the flower. It was a delicate rose, its petals manufactured into a stunning cobalt that hardly looked inartificial. It even smelled real. A small piece of paper hung from the thorn-less stem. It had elegant, looping script. _I miss you. I want to see your beautiful face again, Annabeth. From, Percy._

The attraction she felt yanking at her heartstrings was too strong even to extinguish with her annoyance.

 **Okay I'm done yay. I planned to write a lot of stuff here but I'm seriously tired. Sorry. I'll answer to your reviews next chapter. I hope you liked this, longest chapter yet.**

 **Au revoir!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Um, hi…? I hope you guys aren't mad. I'm really, really sorry for updating late. I'm changing my schedule to updating every weekend, which is usually the only time I can write a whole chapter. Thank you, guys, for all the encouragement and favoriting, though. That's really nice.**

 **Also, I won't have a whole lot of accuracy here, so feel free to correct me. I would love to learn how this stuff actually works.**

 **So yeah, here this is.**

 **Enjoy!**

Annabeth peered into her huge, dark wardrobe, interminably filled with frilly and elegant dresses. She wasn't sure which one to pick for today. They were all, essentially, the same. She imagined Silena gasping in shock and crumpling onto Beckendorf, her husband. Sparing herself a small giggle, she continued to study the rows of thick, ironed fabrics.

The clock on her wall tickled irritatingly, reminding her that she didn't have a whole day to waste and her maids were definitely waiting. Annabeth quickly raced the details of today through her head. It was an outdoors event, pretty casual, and they were indefinitely going to meet other courting couples. She needed something light, breezy, but slightly showy. And since it was croquet, she needed a white dress. Annabeth ran a pale finger across a few stiff skirts.

"This one," she decided, stepping back so Annica could pull it out of her closet. It was a small, slightly old dress, with richly embroidered ivory linen. Lace trimmed the neckline, and two small white flaps rested on the wide skirt. It was definitely a little bit outdated for her, but she was exceptionally light and happy these past three days, suiting the dress perfectly. Ever since… her gaze involuntarily slipped over to a small glazed vase made of creamy clay. It was simple, just a plain background to expose the flower standing inside it, even though Annabeth should've been hiding it from her mother. But the flower was so stunning, and every time she saw it a swirl of happiness enveloped her mind, so she wouldn't dare to keep it unseen.

The deep blue petals were curling at the edges, like old pages of books or a thin slice of butter, and they were slowly darkening inwards in a smooth, paced succession. The outer petals were flung out from the small golden center, like the whole rose was spreading itself out. Tiny dewdrops from the regular sprays of water her maids offered the rose perched on cerulean patches, glinting like stars against a velvety background of rich blue.

"Miss?" Annica questioned, her head cocked slightly at her mistress. Annabeth snapped back to attention.

"Oh, yes, sorry," she answered, heading over to the screened-in area of her bedchamber for changing. Maids easily removed her nightgown and pulled a simple linen shift over her, gesturing for her to step into a pair of cotton stockings. Normally she wore silk ones, but the weather was windy and slightly cold today. Then they fitted a giant bundle of bountiful petticoats around her legs, which were so heavy they actually blocked the coldness of the air. The maids even selected a set of petticoats with scalloped lace fringing the edges, perfectly matching her dress itself.

Then they guided her over to the wooden pole in the middle of the room. Annabeth winced internally. She had to go through this every day, but it still hurt. At least her maids were thoughtful and postponed the fittings as long as possible. It took two of her servants to carry the giant whalebone structure over. They attached it around her torso snugly, and the maid behind her yanked the strings, making sure there was no extra room at all. Then the strings were tightly tied up, squeezing her whole body into something much smaller than it could be. But, after years and years of this, Annabeth didn't react at all. Her breathing only slowed down by a few beats.

Finally, the dress was complete, and it hugged her body with a bit of tenseness. Annica lead her to her vanity, grinning. She sat her down on the cushioned seat, picked up a wooden comb, and immediately started bombarding her with questions as she worked through the tangles in Annabeth's blond curls.

"Well? Is there a special reason for this dress?"

Annabeth arranged the lace collar self-consciously. Did she seriously want to look even younger in front of Luke? She looked much nicer in a formal, slim gown.

"Oh, no, miss." Her maid knew her too well. "That looks incredible on you. And it's perfect for an outdoors croquet game."

Annabeth winced as a clump of hair was yanked, which Annica didn't even bother to apologize for since there were so many knots. "Well, I hope so. Attire for croquet is supposed to be lacey and snug."

"So, it was the right choice, miss. Don't doubt that." Annica grinned at her in the mirror. "And Luke is very much in love with you, so you could wear anything in front of him."

Annabeth gasped loudly, wishing she had something to cover her red cheeks: a kerchief, a fan, anything. She ducked her head instead, except Annica was still dealing with her hair, so her face was ungracefully pulled back. She knew the reason for this, though. Since so many other couples were going to appear, there was no need for chaperones. An excessive amount of flirting was quite common at croquet games. "Annica, do not speak so blatantly. Luke and I do not have such things going on yet."

"Yet!" Annica crowed. "Precisely, miss."

Annabeth frowned at her. She was still flushing a little with embarrassment at how outright her maid was. Luke wasn't in love with her for sure, and as for herself, she didn't know if she shared those feelings just yet.

"Annica, shall we discuss something else more mature?"

"Like, perhaps, the date you two went on three days ago by the Thames?"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "That is not a topic change at all. Such things as the economy and monarchy exist, you know?"

"Miss, those topics are hardly suitable for a lady like you to chat upon."

"I am an Athena lady, Annica," she said, her voice sharpening just a little. She was very much used to people demoting her intelligence, but she still didn't approve. "How this country is running is certainly a good topic for me."

Annica laughed lightly, pulling her comb through a small tangle. "I did not mean to offend you, miss. But it is a sunny day and you are preparing for some croquet with your future fiancé. Besides, I certainly cannot keep up with whatever an economy is." Her maid winked at her.

Annabeth smiled back. Annica was truly a perfect lady, if not in title. If only she was born into a high-ranking family, then she would have such success.

"Lead the conversation then, Ann. I am clearly not good with deciding."

"Well, I was just passing by the mail room this morning, and I just _happened_ to hear the two servant boys at the door discuss a certain bouquet that arrived earlier…"

Annabeth settled into her chair as well as she could while Annica pinned her hair up and stuck jewels into her, enjoying the placid gossip. No matter what, she would treasure these mornings with her maid.

When she was fully made up, she spent two minutes (or so it felt) in the dining room, pulling bites off a roll, and then she was guided into a carriage and sent off to the largest croquet grounds of Olympus.

When she arrived at a paved driveway before lush green plains, she patiently waited for the footman to help her out. They both gazed at the plains for a second before the footman bowed down to her. "I wish you a safe trip, Lady Athena." He bowed again and clambered back into the carriage.

She didn't have to wait long before Luke walked over to her. His eyes matched the sky today and were sparkling with excitement.

"Lady Annabeth," he said with a wide smile. He gracefully bowed before taking her hand and kissing it. His lips only gently grazed the back of her hand before he straightened, as was proper, but it widened her grin.

"Good day, Lord Hermes," she responded, curtsying lowly but still keeping her gaze on him. "Thank you for inviting me outdoors on such a pleasantly sunny day."

His bright blue gaze flickered to her wide-brimmed pastel pink bonnet, with braided ribbons looping around the top, but he said nothing about it. "I am glad you enjoy this weather," he replied. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, lead me to the field."

He held out his arm, and Annabeth took it, and they set off on the smooth dirt path. After just a bit off walking, Luke guided her to the left, where there was already a couple beside the metal croquet hoops planted in the grass. With a start, Annabeth realized it was Katie and Travis. They both waved friendlily at the sight of Luke and Annabeth.

Travis was dressed rather neatly, with a recently ironed shirt and a large overcoat. Katie was in a plain white gown with dirt smudges on the hem, with a crown of pink daisies atop her head as her only decoration, but she still looked pretty.

They went through the greetings rather informally, since they were close friends, and then they all gathered under the small white canopy at the wooden table set with tea. Travis grabbed cucumber sandwiches off the plates and stuffed them into his mouth while chatting with Luke, creating a huge mess as usual. Katie and Annabeth were both turned in their seats, watching the path in the middle of the plains.

"So, who is the third couple we're playing with?"  
Katie looked up in surprise. "Luke didn't tell you?"

"No, he usually doesn't. He wants to make it a surprise." Annabeth allowed herself a small smile.

"Am I allowed to interrupt this surprise?" Katie swished her slippers through the long grass. They were already grass-stained.

"Yes, that's fine." Annabeth laced her gloved fingers in anticipation. "Who is it?"

Katie looked up, and suddenly alarm spilled into her expression. Her freckled, tan cheeks paled slightly. Her gaze dropped to the floor and her fingers entangled into one another, one of her nervous habits.

"What?" Annabeth asked, concerned. She hesitantly reached out. Before she could try and offer any comfort, Travis was out of his seat, crouching before Katie. He grabbed one of her hands. "Katie?"

She blinked, and then returned to herself. "I'm perfectly fine," she muttered, pushing at his arm. "Stop being so bothersome."

The teasing light had not returned to Travis' eyes yet. "What was that, Katie?"

She slipped out of her chair, kneeling across from her suitor. She teasingly made shooing motions at Annabeth and Luke, so they turned away, but not enough so that they couldn't see Katie and Travis in the grass.

Katie placed her mouth to Travis' ear and was whispering something while one hand rested gently on his chest. Annabeth had to grin. Then they both stood up, Travis holding Katie's hand to pull her up.

"That was nothing. Seriously, it's fine." Katie said to Annabeth before shoving Travis away with a fake frown. She returned to her seat. "As for the third couple, you'll see." The tightening of her knuckles said that something was still wrong, but Annabeth didn't want to question her.

"Are you ready for today's game? Because I have practiced my croquet for a _long_ time and I am definitely beating you." Katie shot her a competitive smile.

Annabeth crossed her legs. "Sorry, Katie, but it is deemed by fate that I shall always win. You know, if you joined my team, you would have a chance at winning."

Katie gasped theatrically. "Oh, no, I am winning _against_ you, Annabeth dearest. Whoever joins your team will be doomed to lose."

She laughed. "This is croquet. Think again, Katie." It was true, Annabeth was the best at croquet. The complicated rules, the fanciful ways to win, it was all child's play for her. The only time it really got complicated was if she played against Malcolm in the small Athena croquet field. Madame Lark always disapproved, saying it made her look exceptionally unladylike, but Luke always enjoyed her detailed calculations and theories, and according to almost everyone else Luke's opinion mattered most in the field of appearances.

Katie was braiding a few wildflowers together. "I really have practiced long and hard, Beth. I'm really excited to see what happens."

A loud burp before Travis startled them all. They were both busy rebuking him when a deep, smooth voice from behind them said, "Hello, friends."

Annabeth spun around and she felt her jaw loosen. In front of her was Perseus Jackson.

He was dressed in a long, navy coat, and his dark hair was windblown but still wonderful and attractive. His sea green eyes were as bright as ever in the warm sunlight. His whole tall, broad-shouldered figure seemed perfect and statue-like and angular under the shadows of the canopy. He took off his coat in one smooth motion, revealing a starched white shirt that snugly wrapped his lean forearms and his torso that gracefully narrowed down to his waist.

They all stood up. Travis and Katie greeted him warmly, and then Luke stepped forward.

Luke hugged Perseus briefly. "Hello, Percy. It is nice to see you today."

Percy smiled back at him, and Annabeth had to admit, it was a beautiful smile. His tan cheeks rounded out, like a little boy's, and his pearly, straight teeth glinted in the sun. "Likewise. How are you today, Luke?"

"I am good. How are you?"

"Brilliant!" He threw one arm into the air casually. Only then did Annabeth notice the girl he was with peeking over his side. She had long, caramel-colored hair, creamy skin, a small almond-shaped eyes. Katie was chatting with her eagerly. She was beautiful in a petite, woodsy way. Thousands upon thousands of ladies would be jealous of how narrow her waist was in a partially loose gown. Annabeth guessed that even her corset would be loose on this girl. She racked her memory for her name and came up with an exotic, elegant one: Calypso.

Just a few weeks ago, the nearby Mt. Atlas estate was purchased by a businessman named Atlas, also a relative of the Olympians. He had many beautiful daughters, but only the Pleiades and Calypso moved into his new mansion. Plenty of talk stirred among the male section of the ton about those daughters, though the Pleiades seemed to side with Artemis, Annabeth's maiden aunt. It came as no surprise to Annabeth that Percy was courting Calypso. And from her wide doe eyes she was clearly enamored with him.

"Well, isn't it great how we picked such a pleasant day to croquet together?" Luke asked him with a light grin.

"Yes, and we are both courting rather beautiful ladies." Percy finally turned to Annabeth, a wild grin dancing on his full lips. Her heart thumped, much louder than before when she was running. Her faint breaths from being in a corset were even more limited as his deep green eyes bore into hers. He took a step forward, and Annabeth's mind raced with alarm. Only when he opened his mouth did she sluggishly realize what was about to happen.

"Good morning, Lady Athena." His voice lowered to a taunting whisper as he spoke her surname. He bowed, and Annabeth realized what was going to happen next. Her heart jumped in her chest frantically. He stood upright, grinning down at her. Then he reached over for her hand. It seemed to happen in slow motion: the rough calluses of his fingers and palms pressing through the lace of gloves as his hand met hers, the slackening of her muscles as he lifted her arm up, and her small intake of breath as she waited for his sea-colored eyes to leave hers and drop onto her hand. But his burning gaze never left her face, even as his lips found the exact center of her hand. The second his mouth touched the silken lace pattern of her gloves a flush raced through her body. His lips were softer than she thought. Electricity resonated in the nerves on the back of her left hand. Her heart beat so fast she was getting lightheaded at an impossible rate.

He didn't release her hand once he kissed it, instead, he lowered it but continued holding her hand gently. His touch was slowly melting her.

She expected his gaze to leave abruptly and turn back to Luke, but no, he remained looking at her. "How wonderful is it that we get to croquet together? I do look forward to see you strategizing."

"She's brilliant at it," Katie piped in, but Annabeth's mind was still focused on Percy.

"I guessed so. I am a champion at croquet, though. You should work on your game."

Angry flames burned through her hazy concentration on Percy. Who was he to assume he was better than her? She pulled her hand from his, annoyed. The sudden coldness brushing her hand just made her angrier.

She turned to Luke. "Then we shall be on the same team. And you, Calypso," she said, meeting the small girl's eyes confidently. She wanted Perseus to get beat by the girl he was courting. And hopefully Calypso would see what a pompous cow Percy was and burn whatever notes he was sending her.

Katie surveyed Percy and Travis with a frown. "Well, this is the short end of the stick," she muttered. "Hey!" the two boys protested. Katie shrugged and stared distantly at the hoops. "I figure my talent should provide for this team."

Annabeth could not hold back her laugh. "I wish you luck, then." Even Calypso was grinning at this. Maybe there was hope for her.

They lined up into front of the nine hoops. Katie and Luke when first. Both of their balls rolled far. Annabeth counted the number of hoops each ball crossed before pushing Calypso forward. Percy didn't want to compete the girl he was courting, and though Annabeth did not want to get stuck with her archnemesis, she figured Calypso definitely had a chance against Travis.

She was right. Calypso's ball almost reached the end, far more than she expected, while Travis' ball went wayward and smacked a few hoops on its way out into the grass.

Finally, it was up to her and Percy. They stood before the two rows of hoops, facing one another, mallets poised behind their balls. He grinned at her, his green eyes glowing. "Well, hello," he slowly drawled.

Something twisted in her stomach, but she shook it off. "Yes, hello," she repeated darkly. "Are you ready—" She was going to say, "to lose," but Percy cut her off.

"Oh, Annabeth dear, I am completely ready for you." He leaned in, his eyes as intense as stormy waves.

She frowned at him. She wished she could stick her mallet onto his smooth, muscular chest and push him back. It took her a second to recover. "You may think that, but just wait and watch." With a gentle knock, her ball went flying through the hoops.

Percy was a second late, but soon his ball was right behind hers. Their whole company raced along the hoops, their eyes trained on the rolling balls. Annabeth's mental count of the hoops grew steadily.

Both balls raced outside the hoops. Annabeth's was definitely faster.

All of them continued lining up at different sectors, trying to shoot their colorful balls through all nine hoops. Annabeth didn't even bother with perfecting the ideal croqueting posture where she leaned down just slightly; all she was aware of was how far her balls went compared to Percy's. It was a long and tiresome morning because they were always closely tied.

Travis suddenly announced that he wanted a break. They all sat down under the canopy and a servant brought them hot tea. Annabeth was stirring her single drop of milk into her Earl Grey while staring out at the croquet field when Percy spoke up. "Lady Athena, you seem distant. Are you not enjoying this tea? You have splashed some into your saucer."

Annabeth spun around and examined the creamy, gold-lined saucer. Perseus was right. Blushing, she lifted the corner of her napkin off the table and wiped it, too embarrassed to ask the servant to do so.

"I am enjoying this rather much, thank you for asking. Luke, I am so pleased you invited me to this." Her tone transferred into formality without a notice.

"I know how much you love croquet," Luke answered, smiling over at her. He didn't notice the shift.

She followed the light chatter until a tingle on the back of her neck caused her to turn. Percy, across from her, was staring straight at her, his eyes unreadable. Then his lips tilted into a smirk. "I noticed how your plate is empty. Would you like a cucumber sandwich?" He took one and set it in her palm.

She had taken her gloves off before tea in order to keep them clean. And Percy, being improper as usual, grazed her bare hand for overly long with his own long fingers. Her flesh burned in a somehow delighted way. He must've noticed the tiny change in her expression because his hand lingered on hers, brushing against it as he picked the sandwich up once again, and his pinky discreetly hooked onto her ring finger as he dropped the sandwich onto her plate, offering a distant apology for "putting it on the wrong place". Annabeth must've been crimson as her cheeks burned like they were exposed to the sun for hours on end.

Katie looked over with concern. "Annabeth?"

She quickly tilted her face down and pulled her fan from her reticule and snapped it open in front of her starkly red cheeks. Percy's pinky slowly unhooked from her finger, but his hand still brushed hers slowly as he pulled it away. She missed its warmth and curled her fingers into a loose fist.

"Annabeth?" Luke asked, too. His own large hand crept on hers, smoothing it out from the fist. He gently laced his fingers through hers, which he'd down millions of times before, but this time it took on a new meaning.

He was marking his territory and trying to make Percy jealous. And from the fire-hot glare in Percy's jeweled eyes, he had succeeded. But there were no sparks inside her heart, no burning in her throat from Luke's smooth touch. She told herself that was better, but it didn't slow her confusion.

Katie's brown eyes were filled with confusion, too. She gave Annabeth a sidelong glance before turning to her last cream puff. Once she had gobbled it down, licked the remaining cream from her fingers, and checked around the table, she announced, "Well, shall we return to croquet?"

The next game was just as intense. Their sides switched around a bit, but Annabeth was careful to avoid getting paired with Percy. Her luck seemed to run out, because eventually they were coupled together with Travis.

"And we meet again," Percy murmured, his deep voice surprisingly close to her ear. She forced herself not to flinch or move away.

"Please move away," she said through gritted teeth. "My suitor is right there."

"Oh, sorry." He scooted a few feet away. "We are a team, though, Annabeth."

"Yeah," Travis broke in. "We have to work together to beat Katie. She's really crazy about this."

"Okay, then, you can go first," she told him before realizing she left herself alone with Percy. From his wide grin, he knew this too.

"So, do you have any strategies?" He raised a dark eyebrow at her, his eyes glinting like they were polished.

Her eyes racked the hoops. She decided to show off a little bit, hopefully enough to scare him off. He seemed to court rather plain and shy girls. "Well, Calypso is more talented than I would've guessed. And she's going next. Her aim has been growing steadier and steadier, but Travis is, well, Travis. He won't get far. And Luke is going next, two wins are hard to beat."

He held up a hand. "How did you so easily assume Luke would have a win?"

"He's smart and he's strong. His hits are always good." These were just the plain truth. Percy still looked dubious.

"He could always have an accident. Shouldn't you consider variables?"

"Luke? Not hitting the ball right? Percy, he's really good with these things."

"What if I went up against him?"

"Yeah, and what would happen?" She looked at him, her lids lowered in boredom. This conversation was as simpleminded as she would've guessed.

Percy frowned down at her. "Fine. Continue with your strategy."

"Well, we could ask Travis to knock Calypso's ball off-track. That is sort of hard, but it works." They both turned to the hoops, where Travis was chasing his ball and Calypso was counting the hoops her now-still ball had surpassed. Annabeth blushed a little.

"Hey, hey, don't lose hope," Percy said, ignorant of her crumpled pride. "You could just try and knock Luke's ball." Then his sideways grin suggested he was well-aware of the blow her pride took, and will take once she followed his clever advice. Annabeth could think of nothing better and stood up in front of her suitor.

"Hello." His smile was friendly, unlike a certain green-eyed man's.

"Hello. Three, two, one!" Her swing was slanted. Her ball traveled out between two hoops and clashed into Luke's. The momentum kept it going through a few more hoops, though on Luke's row.

Everyone clapped, impressed. The next few games had a lot more strategizing. Finally, Luke checked his gold pocket watch and announced that they should just have one more match before heading home for lunch. Percy and Annabeth were set onto opposite teams. Calypso and Katie were with Percy, while Luke and Travis were with Annabeth.

Luke and Calypso went first. Luke won, but only by a few hoops, and Calypso looked immensely proud. Then it was Katie and Travis, though they flirted/fought before the hoops for almost an hour before hitting. Katie won, of course.

Percy and Annabeth finally lined up in front of the hoops.

"Last game," Percy said. "You should do well for this one. "

"As should you, for once," she taunted back.

He appeared wounded for a few seconds. "Annabeth, dearest, why do you do this to me? Do you not think I mean the best for you?"

She regarded him carefully. Once when his face split into its usual smirk did she relax. "And since I want the best for you, I won't hit too hard, so you won't lose too bad."

"I can win with a small tap, but you obviously have no self-control, Lord Poseidon. Now, let us stop talking. One two _three_!"

Regardless of what she said, they both swung hard. The mallets clattered against the balls hard. The balls both flew down the hoops. But it wasn't so simple. The paths of their balls were horizontal. They rolled out between the hoops and met each other in the middle with a loud smack. The two balls flew out, landing in the opposite direction.

Annabeth raced over and continued to count, this time how many hoops the balls had landed past. Percy was right behind her. When she counted again for the fifth time, her brain finally accepted the truth.

She was tied with Lord Perseus Jackson Poseidon.

 **Well, how was that? Yay, I'm done with this chapter. It's surprisingly long. And I only took, like, three hours. Did you guys like it?**

 **Also, please review. It's super encouraging. I'll totally appreciate it.**

 **Now for answering reviews:  
** **From Chapter 5**

 **Tea-made-bean: Oh my gosh your review was so sweet and it made it so incredibly happy. I'm so glad I managed to make your Monday better. It wasn't that bad, was it? And everything you said was literally so nice I had no idea anyone thought my story was cute and descriptive but you do and that's so awesome! I'm totally going to try and keep this up. Also, I don't actually think not posting for a whole week (technically I skipped out two) is a long time, but the best stories update super regularly. Plus, I promised you guys once a week, and these chapters are tiny, so yeah.**

 **DemigodSassReaders: I love your name and everything. Your review was hilarious. The feelings weren't supposed to be that intense by chapter 5, since I kinda rushed it, but the fact that you liked it and commented was really nice. Thank you! Keep being sassy and funny!**

 **DreamCatcher06: I am beyond happy to hear someone call such a weird chapter cute. Thank you so much. I didn't actually update that much *cough* but I will try. And here's the thing: *stage whisper* Percy is only temporarily cocky. He's going to get knocked off his high horse by our very own Annabeth in the upcoming future. ;) ;) Trust me, he's still nice and caring at heart, but he has** _ **stuff**_ **right now**. **Too much spoilers! Just keep waiting for my updates, I guess.**

 **From Chapter 6**

 **Ayyyyyyyyeeeeee: Hi! Nice name! I actually considered counting the number of ys and es but I decided no. I can't describe how happy I was when I read your review. Thanks. It was the nicest thing ever! Seriously, it was exactly everything I wanted to hear. Best mail so far. I'm sorry for making you wait, uh, eight days. Sorry sorry sorry I'm seriously going to change. At least shorten the wait to maybe five days. I mean, I don't actually take seven days to write. I will totally try to make these good for you, though!**

 **Abidoodle.e: Wow, you reviewed on the day I posted. I seriously just updated before seeing your INCREDIBLE review so I went back and changed it. Thank you. Seriously. That's the nicest thing ever. It made me so, so happy. You're a really sweet and incredible person. I'm glad you like my idea, though. I had no idea what to do with the last names because in Victorian England a family has a name so I randomly made this whole thing up and its kinda confusing but I'm glad you think it's clever. Also, thanks for so much encouragement. I just criticize my writing a lot because that's one of the best ways to improve, but yeah, I probably should be more confident about my stuff. Thanks for going out of your way to tell me that I have talent. I personally think some chapters are lacking in quality, but you guys always send super nice reviews, so thank you so much! I will totally keep writing. Btw I'm a girl. I'll put that in my profile when I edit it someday in the future. Ugh, this is a long reply. But yeah, thanks again!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, I'm not one of those authors who talk about music that much, but I have this song stuck in my head and I might as well include it here. It's Babe by Sugarland, ft. Taylor Swift (of course). I would love to stick in some serious drama because of this song, but I'm still too ahead in the plot of any of that. Maybe something small.**

 **Enjoy!**

"Oh, hi! No! Don't go there. Stay far away from the parlor," Lacy warned, wringing her hands together. After a moment of hesitation, she gripped Annabeth and Piper's forearms and dragged them down the hall.

Annabeth leaned away from a giant azure and gold statue of Aphrodite as Lacey hurried her away before turning to the young girl. "What's going on, Lacy? What's wrong with the parlor?"

Lacy turned back, her coppery brown eyes wide with fear. "Something bad," she said vaguely before pulling them into another hallway, this one with soft pink wallpaper.

Annabeth looked over at Piper. "What's in the parlor? Why is your sister acting like this?"

"I'd like to know too." Piper pulled her arm out of Lacey's grasp and planting her slippers firmly on the plush purple carpet. "Well? Explain yourself, please."

Lacey folded her hands together. "Sorry, but I didn't want you two to go inside."

"Why?" Annabeth leaned in, her eyebrows drawn in curiosity.

"Well," Lacey hedged, "One of my sisters is in there."

Piper cocked her head. "Are they really that dangerous? The worst thing they'd ever done was throw a beaded purse at me."

Lacey's eyes grew wider. "Um, that's bad. But, well…" she lowered her voice, " _Drew is in there_."

Piper gasped before outrage twisted her elegant features. She muttered a few extremely unladylike words under her breath. "What? That-that harlot is here? I thought she got banished across the globe!"

"I wish," Lacey murmured softly. "No. She was out on a cruise with her fiancé."

A furrow appeared in Piper's light brown forehead. "And which one was that?" Annabeth guessed that they were talking about the parade of men Drew had around her finger. She hadn't heard a lot about the older sister, but she knew how horrid and rude and flitty she was.

"Doesn't matter," Lacey said dismissively. That was the normal reaction to men in the Aphrodite household: there was a lot of them, and they were all in love with me, so there is no point distinguishing between them. "What is important is that, an Earl of Boughten or something or other is with her, inside the parlor."

"So she dropped the fiancé?" Annabeth interrupted. She hadn't even considered that it would be the other way around.

"Well, she's planning to. Close enough. I just didn't want you two to run into her."

"Oh, thanks. I am not planning to see her again. I wish she was off married with whoever. And an earl? Did Drew's taste veer from money?"

"I've heard the prince is not available," Lacey responded with a giggle.

"Don't give her any ideas," Piper said with a faked shudder. "Just imagine Drew being queen one day."

"Oh, no, she's currently too obsessed with that earl's looks to care. I caught a peek, and I honestly don't see it, but Drew likes a strange sort of men."

"No doubt. She's still going to realize that his family is far worse than hers, though." Annabeth turned and eyed a grandfather clock with doves carved into the wood. "Come on, Piper, tea is starting. Let's find somewhere to settle down. Lacey, would you like to join?"

Piper's sister looked unsure. "Um, I wouldn't want to intrude…"

"No, it's fine," Piper told her. "However, I seem to recall two nights ago, you sat down at the dining table five minutes after everyone else." She raised a dark eyebrow.

Lacey reddened. "Piper! It's nothing!"

"Are you sure? You were extremely eager that night. In fact, you disappeared for a part of it."

Lacey started squeaking. "Stop making a big deal! I have to go!"

"Say hi to him for me!" Piper called after her.

Annabeth stared at her friend. "What was that?"

"Oh, it's just that the day before yesterday a very shy kitchen boy got the courage to tell her that he thought she was pretty. I believe our little rebel spent the night talking with him, and I found a note telling her where to find him right before teatime." Piper pointed to the grandfather clock. "Aren't I punctual?"

Annabeth laughed. "I can't believe Lacey, out of all people, is meeting with a kitchen boy. Compared to a lot of your sisters, she's the least likely to do that."

"If they actually start courting, I'll owe you a pair of emerald earrings-I only have one pair-because I highly doubt Lacey would even keep this up for that long."

"How do you only have one pair? I have three, even if one of them is really small."

Piper pointed to the glittering chain of pink sapphires dangling from each ear. "My family generally only gets pink or red jewelry. Do you know how many ruby bracelets I have?"

Annabeth laughed. "Alright. I would hate to take your only emerald earrings, then. Green looks good with red."

"Yeah, yeah. You could always gift me something blue," Piper said. She tilted her head so a nearby candle's light caught the contours and hollows of her face. "It would match my eyes."

Annabeth rolled her own eyes. "Everything matches with your eyes," she said. "They're like a million colors. Now, come on, let's go to your sitting room."

Inside, they got a servant to light the hearth as they wrapped patterned afghans around themselves. Another maid came to serve them tea. Finally they were comfortably settled.

Annabeth picked up her delicate ceramic cup with marigolds painted on the handle. She took a sip as Piper grabbed a madeleine off the table.

"Come on, take one," she held out one of the small golden shells.

Annabeth politely shook her head. "I'm fine, Piper. You eat it."

Piper's currently greenish-blue eyes widened. "What? I thought you were obsessed with madeleines."

"No, I'm not. I like other foods, too." She took another sip of her tea.

Piper grabbed her cup from her and peered inside. "Black tea? You hate black tea! Why did you get the maid to pour you this?"

Annabeth shrugged, taking her cup back and setting it on her saucer with a soft _clink_. "I don't hate it."

Piper grabbed her hands. "Annabeth? What's wrong with your taste?"

Annabeth offered her a bitter smile. "I don't want to eat so much sugar, anyway. It's not proper."

Piper threw her tanned arms into the air. "Proper? Propriety is bothersome! And would I report you to Madame Lark? No. You can eat a single madeleine."

"No, I'm too round around the edges to be a correct lady." Annabeth slid her gloves back on in order that she wouldn't be tempted to take one of the beautiful confections.

"No, you're perfectly skinny. Think about all the suitors revolving around you. Or, better yet, look into your looking glass." Piper crossed her arms in anger.

"I can skip a dessert if I wanted to. I need to fit inside my best corset for next week." She sighed. "Honestly, I don't care, but Mother and Madame Lark do."

Piper frowned deeply. "This is ridiculous. Take it. If a single suitor looks down at you, I'll give you my whole suite in here."

Annabeth laughed. "Stop betting away your things, Piper. You'll end up on the streets soon enough." But she gave her gloves to the maid, grabbed a sugar cube, and crushed it on top of a madeleine before stuffing it in her mouth. She almost melted in happiness. "Okay, that's incredible."

Piper smiled, satisfied. "Alright. But what's next week?"

"Dearest, how could you be so ignorant of your schedule? We're attending an extremely important dance: Atlas's daughter's debut." She flashed back to seeing Calypso a week ago at croquet. She was quiet, but she was definitely fierce at playing.

Piper gasped. "I forgot about that! Goodness, I need a gown for that!" She turned to the maid by the wall. "Jeanine, please inform Mother-no, never mind, find one of my oldest sisters. Alishia. Ask her to send a letter to our dressmaker about making a new gown for me by next week. Make it…" she tapped her chin, thinking. "Purple satin, lace collar and hem, and embroidered sleeves."

Jeanine curtsied, looked harried. "Thank you, my lady." She rushed off.

"Purple satin? That'll be impressive."

"Thanks, I probably need to look good at Atlas's party. You? Something gray, I'm guessing."

Annabeth winced as she realized a dress fitting was coming up. "Yes, something dark, dark gray. It's to show off my 'mediocre complexion'."

Piper sputtered. "Annabeth, you're as white as china! Besides, you've been suffering under umbrellas and hats for over a month even on cloudy days! You'll look like a vision." She abruptly looked down, fiddling with her spoon.

Annabeth immediately felt bad. Because of Piper's father, now divorced from Aphrodite, she was dark-skinned. She still looked more beautiful than anything, but the London society deemed her as foreign and strange-looking. Piper didn't even dare to wear anything pale in case she looked like a deeper shade of brown. "You look like a vision," she told her friend, "even in a lumpy nightgown. So don't complain, Pipes."

"Oh, come on, I look like some old lady in a lumpy nightgown. That's why I shoo all of my maids out after I take a shower."

Annabeth smiled. "An old lady which has not lost any of her earlier beauty, than. In fact, she doesn't possess a single wrinkle."

Piper flushed happily. "Your skin is smooth, too. Now, stop discussing my face." She turned and grabbed a cream puff, smiling secretly.

Suddenly another maid stopped at the doorway. "Lady Aphrodite!"

Piper looked up with cream all over her mouth. "Yes? And don't call me that, Lady McLean is fine."

The maid made an about face, either confused by Piper's expression or the rather foreign name. McLean was from her father, who Piper said to not care about, but she privately did and it sounded better than her mother's name. "Yes, Lady McLean. Your guest as at the door."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow at her. "You invited someone else during our tea? Who?"

Piper frowned. "I didn't. Who is it?"

The maid stared at the ground. "I was sent by the butler, who did not specify."

"It's fine," Piper told her. "Take me to them. Also, make sure no one leads them into the parlor." She made a "wait here" gesture at Annabeth and swept outside with the maid.

Annabeth was still wondering how Piper acted so in control with cream on her face and while giving conflicting directions when Piper's butler peeked inside the sitting room.

"Oh, hello, Lady Athena!" He bowed, revealing a balding spot at the back of his head. "Well, it is a pleasure to see your lovely face today."

"To have your witty and entertaining company around is a much better form of pleasure," she answered back, offering him a formal smile. "Why are you visiting?"

"Well, I came ahead of my mistress, Lady Aphro-I mean, Lady McLean. I have news to deliver."

Annabeth sat up straighter. "Yes?"

"You see, the guest Lady McLean went to greet was her suitor, Lord Zeus."

Annabeth blinked. "Lord Zeus? Jason?"

"Ah, yes. He visited without an invitation because they are that close." He smiled to himself. "However, it intrudes with your visit. As a word of warning, because no one wants you to leave, you may have to spend tea with Lord Zeus."

Annabeth smiled. Jason was good company, and even though being the third wheel would be awkward, she didn't want to miss a chance to tease Piper in the future. "I see. Thank you for telling me, sir. Your thoughtfulness is well-appreciated."

He smiled back at her, bowed, and left. Just like he said, Piper was right behind him.

"Don't be mad," she said quickly. "I can ask him to leave, or wait. I did not mean to interrupt this. Please?"

"Oh, it's fine. I haven't seen Jason in a while." And then she smiled mischievously at her, making her friend knew full well that anything romantic would be closely remembered.

Piper gulped before ushering Jason inside. He took a seat in a stuffed armchair and smiled at Annabeth, flashing neat rows of snow-white teeth. He looked especially handsome today, for Piper probably, with his cropped blond hair combed back and in a fresh blue shirt that matched his eyes. His warm smile tugged on the tiny scar above his upper lip.

"Hello, Lady Athena."

"Oh, there is no need for formal greetings. The only hand you are required to kiss is Pipers'." She smirked.

"I wouldn't mind that." He reached out, gently tugged Piper closer to him, and brushed her palm with his lips. They smiled softly at each other.

Meanwhile, Annabeth was grinning so wide she felt like her face would burst. She was already plotting inside her head about how to gossip about this to Miranda and Silena and Thalia and everyone. "Jason just appears, sweeps Piper off her feet, and even with me in the room, they start kissing!"

"So, Annabeth," Jason said in his usual deep and polite voice. "How are you? I mean this truthfully, Annie."

She smiled. She hadn't heard that for a long time. "Oh, brilliant. Well, I have had classes on mannerisms for this whole week, but I do get to visit Piper, and now, you! Also, a debut is coming up and Calypso is a wonderful girl, so I can't wait to see how it goes."

Jason leaned in, his sky-blue eyes glittering with anticipation and mischief. "Well, I was just talking to one of my cousins over lunch. Percy."

Annabeth's cheeks darkened, but this time in anger. She only remembered his arch look and smug grin as neither of them won for the last game in croquet. She demanded another and Luke and Katie had to basically drag her screaming and kicking off the field. "Oh, him," she said flatly. "My famous and misbehaved archnemesis."

"Don't say that," Jason said, looking like he was trying not to smile. "He told me what a wonderful time you two had during croquet a week ago."

"Oh, it was the opposite of wonderful."

"Are you sure?" Piper asked in a slippery voice. Traitor! When Annabeth shot her a dark look, she quickly set a madeleine onto her plate.

Once she scarfed down the dessert, she began complaining. "Perseus was completely rude the whole time. Taunting me, being condescending, and his face was permanently stuck in an arrogant smile. I wanted to hit _him_ with the mallet."

Piper stifled a giggle. "Oh, please. I've heard from him too. You two were having some very interesting conversations while playing."

"And while having tea, if I remember correctly?"

She couldn't believe the lovebirds were getting together to knock her down. "If you define interesting as him being a stubborn, brainless snake while I tried to remain calm, then yes, it was."

Piper threw her head back, laughing. "That sounds like Percy."

Jason joined in. "I guessed so, too. Did you two have a showdown? Like, did you utterly beat him?"

Annabeth blushed, thinking of how she tied with him. Her pride was degrading by the second. "Nothing could've made that morning enjoyable," she said evasively. "Why are you bringing this up, anyhow?"

"From his description, both of you had a truly brilliant, did you say, time. I would've thought you enjoyed it. And wasn't Luke there?"

Annabeth smiled faintly. "He was."

Piper gasped. "I see it now. Percy is trying to compete for her hand. Has he not sent you an invitation?"

Annabeth could only remember the note on the rose. Well, now that she thought about it, she remembered seeing something like a trident seal in the living room hearth. No doubt her mother burnt whatever came from that house. "I haven't gotten to look at any."

"That coward," Jason said friendlily. "I'm sure he's intimidated by Annabeth's intelligence."

"Yeah, because he has none," Annabeth muttered. Once they finished laughing, she said, "Well, from how he acts, there is no way he could be intimidated. His ego apparently makes up for all his flaws."

Jason smiled. "Percy acts like that around most women. It's all an act."

Piper flashed Annabeth a significant look.

"And, he might just be acting like a jerk because he feels like he needs to fulfil his role as a son of Poseidon. You know, since he's your enemy."

Annabeth sighed. "Yeah, I know. Honestly, I just wished he'd leave me alone. If our parents didn't fight so much, we would probably never talk to each other." She looked up suddenly, smirking. "Actually, I would, because he would be my best friend's brother-in-law."

Piper blushed and Jason fixed his glasses. Annabeth gloated in silence until Jason finally spoke up. "You could also, you know, call off this whole ordeal."

Annabeth wrinkled her nose. "Talk to him? No thank you. Perseus is grating my nerves into nothingness just by being himself. I also doubt he would stop being ridiculous."

Piper spread her hands. "Annabeth, come on. I know you guys get annoyed around each other, so you should at least ask him to stop bothering you."

"Make a truce," Jason suggested. "I could also talk to him, ask him why he's acting so badly around you. But you have to be the one to make the first move."

Annabeth sighed, hugging a frilly pillow to her chest. "I know. If I see him around, like at Calypso's debut, I'll say something to him. I don't know what." The thought of questing him upright to his smirking face caused her to frown.

She caught Piper and Jason making triumphant faces at one another. They probably planned this whole thing. "Alright, stop it with those faces. You're not married yet."

The two sprang apart in their seats. Annabeth had to laugh. "Looks like you two need some more chaperones. Can I call in Mitchell?" Piper's brother loved the relationship between Piper and Jason almost as much as Annabeth.

Piper frowned. "No, you may not. We do not need chaperones. Jason and I were being proper, unlike you."

"Yes, very, very proper." She smiled sleazily. "At least don't kiss in front of me."

Jason sputtered. "We are doing no such thing! Why-why would you—"

Annabeth gasped in delight. "Are you saying you two kissed _before_?"

Their faces turned flaming red. Piper almost matched the tiny scarlet figurine of Aphrodite on the mantle.

Annabeth smiled smugly as she took a sip of tea. "Well, just look at this." She turned to find the maid behind them with wide eyes. She winked at her and mouthed, "Spread the gossip" before turning back around.

Finally they composed themselves. "Annabeth," Piper warned. "We're best friends. You cannot reveal this."

"What if you gave me your suite?" She laughed. "I'm joking, I have no one to tell. This secret will be buried in the depths of my soul. But, seriously, Jason, if you care about her so much, and I _know_ you do, propose!"

Jason looked at the ground. "I want to propose. I promise."

Piper took his hand. "No, it's just, a wedding will make it all so difficult. You know what everyone expects. And worse, an Aphrodite daughter almost never gets married. She just jumps from suitor to suitor. She doesn't normally wait for anything, either.

But I want to. Not just because of propriety. But because I care about Jason, and I don't want us to be simple and rushed. I want it all to be special, and I want to be confident about everything between us."

Jason smiled as he stroked her hand.

"And there's still more pressure. An Aphrodite daughter who gets married, half of the time, is to cover up for her early pregnancy. And all of them are expected to end up with divorce." Piper sighed and sat closer to Jason.

"I know you don't want to meet a single one of those expectations," she answered softly. "That was really sweet. But I think anyone who looked could see how much you two love each other. And beyond that, they shouldn't care about the details. You two are good enough."

"Aw, thanks. I didn't know you could be sentimental," Jason said, his eyes shimmering.

"I try," she said. She squeezed both of their hands before grabbing a madeleine. "Well? Jason, has my speech convinced you to get a ring?"

"I'm afraid Piper will toss it if it's too ugly," he joked.

"Oh, I will, Jace," Piper joked back. "I'm an Aphrodite child."

"With all this waiting, you better invite me and make it super-romantic."

"Just add some more pressure, will you?"

They laughed, and the serious talk blew away like the cool October breeze.

-line break-

"What? Who?"

The servant boy reread the note. "Connor Stoll, Hermes. That's what it says on here, miss."

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "Why would he send me this?"

"I-I do not know, miss."

Annabeth slowly stood up from her seat by the window, casting the pale wintry London view one last glance before walking over to the servant boy. "Give it to me, please."

The boy was right. In handwriting messier than Perseus', Connor had written, "Hey, Annabeth. Would you like to visit this garden next afternoon? It's really pretty. Sincerely, Connor."

Annabeth set it down on her working table, frowning before remembering to keep herself wrinkle-free. It was so awkward and untraditional that Annabeth wasn't sure if he was even trying to court her. And he normally didn't even spare her more than a few glances. She smoothed out another wrinkle in her forehead.

"What's you're name?" She asked.

The boy glanced up, startled. "Um, Marcus."

"Ooh, Roman," she murmured, half to herself. "Well, Marcus, mail this to the Hermes house." She grabbed a sheet of monogrammed paper from her desk and neatly printed, "Dear Connor, I'd love to! Thank you for inviting me. What do you plan on doing there? Sincerely, Annabeth." Hopefully, that would clear things up. She held a stick of wax beside the fire, smeared some of the melted wax onto the paper, and stamped an owl onto it. "Here you go, Marcus."

He held it carefully, avoiding the hot wax, and left her room.

By the time the sun started setting, a new letter appeared. This time Marcus read it to her excitedly. "It says, 'Annabeth, I'm glad you want to come. Can we just walk around and talk? Sincerely, Connor.'" They both looked a bit disappointed afterwards.

Annabeth paced and grabbed a new sheet of paper. "Fine, let me try something else." She scrawled onto it, "Dear Travis, I have a favor to ask from you. I am in a slightly awkward situation. Can I beg you to ask your brother what he has planned for tomorrow afternoon? Sorry for this, but is he trying to court me? I cannot decipher his meaning. Apologies for bothering you. Annabeth."

Marcus was leaning over her shoulder as she pressed her mark into the red wax. "Do you think this'll do?"

He nodded. "I hope so." He grabbed the paper and raced outside.

Finally, as Annica lit the oil lamps around Annabeth's bedchamber, Marcus came back with two letters. They poured over them eagerly.

The first one read, "Dear Annabeth, this is Travis. What a horribly funny situation you got yourself in! My brother was very inexperiencedly trying to court you. Forgive his thickness." There was an ink smudge. Annabeth guessed his brother punched him. "Do not worry, though. It will turn out well. Go! Travis."

"Oh," they both said. Annabeth nervously unfolded the second letter. It said, "Annabeth, I'm so sorry! I was trying to court you. This is so awkward. Um, will you still come? Sincerely, Connor."

"Wow," Marcus said. "Are you going to answer?"

"Would you mind taking the trip?"

"Nah, everyone smiles at the sight at me in the Hermes." He puffed out his chest. "I like being appreciated."

"Sure." She grinned at him and took yet another sheet of paper. This time she wrote, "Dear Connor, thank you for your letter(s). This is awkward indeed. I apologize for my confusion. I will definitely come. It sounds like something I shouldn't miss. From, Annabeth."

Marcus snatched it up, smudging the wax.

When Annabeth was getting undressed by a whole group of maids, Marcus burst in again. They shrieked in him in unison. He was forced to yell through the door.

"Annabeth! He sent another letter! It says, 'Dear Annabeth, that's great news! Don't apologize. I should've been clearer. It is my fault that you had to go to all this trouble, though. From, Travis."

Annabeth turned to Annica. "Can you write another letter for me? Write, 'Dear Connor, it's not your fault—"

"Oh, for goodness' sake!" one of her quietest maids burst out. "Stop it with so many letters. Just talk to him tomorrow!"

"But what if I don't reply he'll think—"

"No!"

-line break-

"Well, that was a lot of trouble," Connor murmured. "Sorry for making your servant run back and forth."

"That was mostly me sending the letters," Annabeth admitted. "He said he didn't mind the attention."

"Oh, that's good." They laughed quietly.

The carriage rumbled to a stop. They stared out the window at a vine-encased arch planted at the edge of the cement driveway.

"We're here," he told her and stumbled outside. Then he held a hand out and helped her out.

They stepped through the arch and into a garden chock-full of plants and trees and flowers. A slightly bumpy dirt path cut into the growth. It looked like no gardener had came in here for a few months.

Connor held out his arm after a pause, and Annabeth took it. They strolled inside, their feet brushing against fallen leaves. The tulle hem of her gown rustled against ferns and low branches, while Connor's coattails bumped against a bush.

They continued on in silence, breathing in the cool autumn air, when Connor awkwardly cleared his throat. "I have some explaining to do, don't I?"

She nodded, giving him a sidelong look.

"I'm sorry for surprising you with a sudden invitation, Annabeth."

"Oh, it's fine. Let's stop apologizing." She held up a hand, her lace glove trailing onto a pink-purple flower.

Connor laughed. "Okay, sure. But that invitation was sudden. I-I know you like Luke," he said suddenly.

Her heart skipped a few beats. She stopped in front of a patch of yellowing grass.

He blinked. "Okay, that was the wrong approach. What I'm trying to say is, I'm not trying to woo you or anything."

"There aren't a lot of good approaches here," she responded causally, pulling a broken-off twig from his arm.

Connor blushed. "Yeah, sorry, I mean, whatever," he huffed, drawing a smile from her. "I gave you the invitation because Dad said I wasn't allowed to court only one person."

"Lou Ellen," she said automatically, and he ducked his head in a cute, embarrassed way. She smirked at him. "It's okay, I don't mind. This garden is pretty."

Connor dragged his fingers through a row of star-shaped leaves before grinning back at her. "You've haven't seen all of it yet. Katie recommended it."

"Let me guess, she also wants you to court some other girls to not bother Lou Ellen."

"Hey!" he exclaimed in the exact same tone as Travis. "But, yeah," he muttered quietly.

She smiled, sidestepping a flaming red maple tree that jutted into the road.

"Also, I have one last thing to get off my chest. I feel like I'm betraying my brother. Can you explain it to him?" Connor looked at her earnestly.

"Travis? Why can't you talk to him yourself?"

"No, Luke. I'm not exactly close enough with him to discuss courting. But you're his, well, predetermined fiancé."

Annabeth flushed, her eyes widening. "No, I'm not!"

"Well, can you? I don't want him to be mad."

"Fine, I'll talk to him. But he is _not_ my predetermined fiancé." She kicked some fallen brownish-green leaves.

"Okay, sure. That's all I've got."

"No problem."

They continued strolling down the overgrown dirt path, pointing out the most pretty sprays of flowers and the tall, ancient trees. And then they stood in front of a curtain of long, flowery vines.

"This is the best part," Travis said with a grin. He pulled at the vines, scattering a few snowy white orchids to the floor and gently pushed her inside.

Annabeth gasped in surprise. Large, teardrop-shaped flowerbeds in multiple different colors rotated around the soft gray marble floor. The center was a circular patch of sunflowers. Annabeth realized that the whole arrangement came together into a flower.

Between the beds were ornate benches, glass barriers, elegant lamps, and upraised stone platforms of small, glossy plants. Rows of tall evergreen trees paraded between the yellow cobblestone paths. Tall, stunning fountains made of crystal were scattered at the tips of the flowerbeds.

The most beautiful, of course, were the flowers. A giant cluster of pansies, in rippling shades of purples and pinks and yellows, stood off to their left. On their left was an ocean of fall crocuses, waving in the wind like upturned bells.

Connor walked Annabeth around the circle of giant petals. There were dozens of them, all in different vibrant shades. A few were wilting because of the cold, and others were snugly wrapped in cloth, but some were flaming and well-alive.

Annabeth stopped by a large flowerpot with bursts of orange and red among smooth green leaves. They really looked like sparks of flame.

Connor crouched down. "According to Katie, all the names are labeled. Here!' He pointed to a bronze plaque around the bottom. It read, "Celosia." Underneath it was a long paragraph about its scientific name and origin and how to grow it.

They moved on to a new flowerpot, with pale, lemon-colored sunflowers. Annabeth cocked her head. "If I remember correctly, sunflowers don't grow in fall."

Connor looked for another plaque. "Wow," he murmured. "This is called, 'Heliopsis.' Based on the Titan of the sun. Also known as 'fake sunflowers.' It also talks about perennial sunflowers, which are the ones planted in the center. They are all strong, apparently."

She slipped that into her storage of knowledge about gardening, which was mostly supplied by Katie and Miranda.

They continued walking and admiring flowers. There was the giant blanket of pink sedum, tiny little flowers that grew in clusters, which were so close-knit there seemed to be no gaps between the little blooms. There was another group of dahlias, their multi-layered pink petals flowing down the sides of their green stems like a waterfall. The petal full of asters was glowing in soft purple, the tiny, silky daises stretching to the wan sun. Fallen petals, their velvety white bottoms upturned, carpeted the paths that Connor and Annabeth walked down.

Annabeth spied a tall tree ahead of them as Connor picked a few stalks of goldenrod and stuck them in his breast pocket. "Now I look a lot more like my father," he said with a grin.

"Oh, as a businessman?"

"Yep. In fact, to be even better, I'm going to add one of these." He picked a long strand of small, bright blue flowers and stuck it in his pocket. "That's a… leadplant," he said, brushing aside stray petals from the plaque in the ground.

They got closer and closer to the tree. Annabeth realized there was something weird about it. It had perfectly smooth bark, and it was faintly-green tinged. Scattered around it were little blue Michaelmas daisies.

Annabeth immediately saw her mistake when she spotted a mass of black-as-night hair. Her eyes went wide and she sucked in a breath that barely fit in her corset.

Perseus turned around, and when his glowing green eyes snagged on her, he grinned. "Lady Athena!" he exclaimed, happily, it seemed.

She stumbled back, dragging her arm out of Connor's, accidentally smashing her heel against a crop of flaming black-tinged helenium.

"Woah!" Percy reacted faster, sliding an arm under her torso and pulling her upright. She found herself pulled to his chest. Face flaming, she ducked out under his arm, trying to limit the contact between them.

"What happened to you, Lady Athena?" He asked with what seemed like genuine concern.

Annabeth subconsciously sidled closer to Connor. "I am fine, Lord Poseidon. What are you doing here?" she asked sharply.

He shrugged. In his hand he held up a single stalk of pink heather, and a few Michaelmas daisies. They were dwarfed by his long fingers. "One of my friends in Demeter told me about this. What are you doing here?" His eyes flickered back and forth from her and Connor. "I see," he answered slowly.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes. "No, why would you visit a garden on your own account? Don't you have anything to do?"

He held a hand to his broad chest, acting offended. "I enjoy being in gardens, Lady Athena. And who could miss out on such a fine fall garden." In one smooth movement, he tucked a pale lavender Michaelmas daisy behind her ear. Annabeth did not need a looking glass to know that it looked absurd beside her diamond-studded braided bun.

She reached up to remove it, but dropped her hand. Something _nice_ that Perseus did was not something she wanted to erase, out of some strange instinct.

"And now it is even more beautiful," Percy murmured, flicking a casual hand at her.

Annabeth did not even bother trying to figure out what he meant. She stared at the ground for a moment before looking up. "Would you please leave? You are being bothersome to us." Suddenly Jason and Piper's words from yesterday rang in her head. Making a truce with Lord Jackson seemed impossible now.

"I did not do anything, Lady Athena. I merely stood here and commented on your beauty. Connor, am I being bothersome?"

Connor was standing off to the side and looking amused. "No, not particularly. Sorry, Annabeth."

She clenched her fist behind the large folds of her gown. "Alright, gentlemen. Please allow me to pass through. I do not wish to be part of your company as of now."

Percy took a step closer to her. "Apologies for bothering you. Suggest how I should change my ways, please."

She was silent, debating between ways to politely get rid of him. But Percy smiled gently and held out his arm. "Shall we take a walk and discuss this further?"

"I refuse." She crossed her arms, her bracelets jingling. "I am currently getting courted by Connor here."

Percy walked even closer. He touched her shoulder. "Annabeth, please? I just want to talk to you." His eyes shone softly. Annabeth knew this would be something Jason and Piper would wanted her to agree to, so she begrudgingly relented.

He held out his arm again. She rested her own in the crook of his elbow. But it was completely different than whenever she fitted her arm in Malcolm's or Luke's. With them, it felt like her future of a family was clicking together. When she took Percy's arm, though, all she was aware of was the feel of him pressing against her, and her own rapid heartbeat.

"Shall we walk?"

She managed to nod and they strode down the path. As they neared a fountain, Percy trailed his fingers in the clear water before tugging them out, flicking water droplets through the air. A cold drop landed on Annabeth's cheek. She wiped it off with a small smile.

Percy found another gathering of heather, arranged in a flowerpot with wispy white iberis. He took one and arranged in on a pine tree branch. Then he gestured for Annabeth to do the same. She cast him a questioning look.

"It's to add color. Come on, pick one."

She dropped a pale pink one on top of a small branch. Now there were two splashes of purplish-pink peeking out among deep green pine needles. She hated to admit it, but it really did make it look nicer.

"Don't you just love fall?" he asked quietly, breathing in the cool, flower-scented air.

"Yeah," she whispered back.

"I love the beach, and I love the heat of summer, but sometimes the fire, of fall is too alluring."

She gazed up at the sharp line of his jaw as he talked, the words barely penetrating her brainpan. A lock of inky silk curled behind his ear.

He grabbed a brown leaf from the floor and twirled it in the air. "Fall is just waiting for winter, waiting for sleep, but look at all this." He spread out his free arm and the fields of flowers. "What could be more alive?"

"So that's you," she said quietly. "Too alive, in the wrong time."

He lowered his eyes. "Exactly." He didn't even seem to defend himself.

"The rose you gave me is a dead husk," she informed him, too sharp in this still moment. But something inside hissed at her to say it, to bring herself to the table. "It's a dark blue."

They stared out at the grayish-orange sky. Annabeth just realized what she said about herself. In comparison to Percy.

"Some things can't be revived. And some can't stop barreling on." He grabbed a soft, spiked blue mist shrub. He tucked this into her collar, but neither of their eyes met.

"No. It would be hit off course, or it would run out of steam."

"There are many forms of immortal." He stretched out his neck.

Annabeth knew this walk in this fall garden would remain immortal in her memory. Was that a good thing? Perhaps.

"If there was something I never had to lose, it would probably be quiet, beautiful views like this one." His gaze traced her forehead before landing on the horizon.

"For me it would be autumn days, just waiting for summer to leave and snow to come."

He blinked. "No, I was wrong. If I never had to lose something, I would be my mother, and my friends." He was still for a second, and Annabeth imagined she could feel his blood rushing through his arm. "But that will never happen. So I shall enjoy the wait before either me or they leave."

"That's ambitious." Annabeth knew a lot of kids in Olympus lived in death's shadow because of one of parents dying. Thalia hated looking at carriages. She would never ride a single one. Leo always paused around fires. Nico, the third cousin, hated lightning.

"What else can I do?" He grabbed her and turned her so they faced each other. She could feel his heartbeat, smell his skin. He leaned in, his eyes somewhere at the base of her throat, and they suddenly flickered up to hers. His bright sea green eyes teared into hers hungrily. They were wide-open, vulnerable, and she knew he was searching her soul too.

But the intensity looking at each other in the eye broke the spell. All the tranquility, all the slow, deep thoughts and ponderings, all their deepest fears and emotions, disappeared into nothingness like a writing slate wiped clean. Their gazes immediately sprang in the opposite directions. Percy searched the mud by his boots while Annabeth stared unseeingly at the field of anise hyssops behind her.

There were a few moments of silence, while the breeze roared in Annabeth's ears and the swaying of flower stems matched the pounding of her pulse. Finally, Percy cleared his throat.

"Alright, beauty. Are you done?" His fingers touched her shoulder again, but not as sincerely as before.

She turned, sparing a glance at him. He was looking over her head. She didn't dare look into her eyes and focused on a small white daisy blooming by her feet.

"Take my arm," he said a heavy, deep voice. She slipped her arm into his, relinquishing the feel, but hating the flirty tone he was adopting.

"Well, beauty? What do you think of this garden?"

"Don't call me beauty," she said flatly.

"Fine. Annie, isn't it wonderful that we met today?"

 _Not anymore_ , she muttered internally.

"Please don't ignore me," he said, pouting. He took one of her loose curls and twirled it around his finger before tucking it messily behind her ear.

"Well, I don't know what else to do when you're being so irritating."

He heaved a sigh. "Is everything irritating to you?"

"Just you," she answered through gritted teeth, feeling like she was trapped in a haze, between two worlds with completely different Percys.

"What can I do?" he asked innocently.

"Be quiet," she said sharply.

"What, aren't you hopelessly charmed by my voice?" He sang a few notes, and Annabeth felt her traitor heart melting.

"Not at all. Do you even care about my opinion? I asked you to be quiet."

"Of course I care," he said silkily. "I care deeply about you. But I shall be quiet, like you asked."

Right before they reached Connor, Percy paused, pulling her back. "Wait," he told her. Bending down, he rifled through a bed of chrysanthemums before gently snapping something. He emerged with a bright red chrysanthemum. It was the color of blood and rubies, painted into long, thin, curving strokes for petals. She stared at the tight cluster of smaller petals in the center mournfully.

Percy handed it to her, his fingers brushing hers. Flames sparked in her heart. Too-hot flames. He grinned down at her. "Annabeth, you should know what this means. And I feel _completely_ like that."

Then, in one smooth motion, he pulled his arm out from under hers and loped away down the paved marble streets. She clutched the flower, feeling like yelling and crying and hitting something and running after him all at once.

Because, even when she closed her eyes, the red as intense as love and passion was still burned in her mind. And she knew it wasn't right.

 **Okay, that's a wrap! That is such a weird but sorta cool chapter. I'm kind of sleepy and warm right now, so this got weird, and it did not work out as satisfying. I doubt anyone will get it. Here's an explanation: they got all deep with each other, but Percy is too afraid of showing himself to someone, especially Annabeth, so he went back to being flirty, arrogant Percy. And the red chrysanthemum was originally intended to be romantic, but it's mostly for messing with Annabeth.**

 ***sits down, cries* Why is my story so sad and weird?**

 **Actually, it's still kind of romantic. In a weird way. Cause that's what Percy feels inside, but he needs to hide it underneath sarcasm. But he can't let Annabeth know that, so he makes it part of his "mask." Okay, I'm getting confusing and nonsensical here. I'm that kind of person, especially I'm tired.**

 **So, was my obsession with flowers too obsessive? Like, I actually made a ppt of flowers that can be planted in fall. I'm not a Demeter kid, though. I just think flowers look pretty and I like knowing their names.**

 **Finally, do you guys know how many hours I wasted on this? It has 7k, for goodness' sake! And it was pretty well-written compared to some past stuff. So you guys better review!**

 **Abidoodle.e: Hi again! I love double-reviewers! Your reviews are seriously nice. Thank you! I know, competition is so fun to read about. I don't know anything about croquet either, that's why there's a huge lack in description. But I think I got some stuff right… I'm glad you liked the action, me too. This was getting dull. And here's the new chapter!**

 **DemigodSassReaders: Thanks for thanking the time to review! Seriously, short reviews can be incredibly sweet. I'm glad you liked it. Is this keeping it up or is this too confusing?**

 **Au revior,**

 **Pride-and-loyalty**


	9. Chapter 9

**Um, hi, guys? Is anyone annoyed by my disappearing, or did no one notice, or, worse, are you guys used to it? Please don't say yes. As always, I have a good explanation, but it's a real one. I had exams this week. (Everyone: Ohhhhhhhhh…) Yeah, and, while I didn't study as thoroughly as I wanted to, I did not have a whole bunch of hours sitting around for me to write. And if you're wondering why I couldn't have used a few minutes each day or whatever, the answer is I have no self-control and I don't normally spend weeks writing. Sorry.**

 **But, as I am mostly trying to, since I didn't post for a while this is going to be a rather long chapter. Maybe. I don't know, I think I've upped your standards with the past few 6k chapters. But you guys will definitely like it, I hope.**

 **Enjoy!**

Annabeth's eyes stretched wide. She tightened her grip on Luke's arm. "Um, you do understand that I am wearing a dress, right? With lomg hems and multiple skirts?"

Luke laughed easily. "Of course, Beth. Spending time with any lady would teach me so."

She stared mournfully at the narrow wooden boat in front of her. "I've heard Artemis' crew of ladies wear specially-tailored trousers."

"Well, Aunt Artemis is special. And they hunt every day. They cannot run in such a beautiful gown as yours."

"I have never considered this heavy, too-elaborate dress beautiful. And even less so when it is wet." She eyed the rushing gray waters of the Thames cautiously. Luke's compliment still, did not go unnoticed and she smiled a bit.

"Oh, Annabeth, I shall watch out for you and your attire. Now, would you like me to hold your purse?"

She bit her lip. She didn't want to carry it in case she dropped them into the river, but she also wanted Luke to think she could do things on her own. "No, I am fine, thank you." She waited for Luke to step into the small boat, which teetered dangerously, and for him to proffer a hand.

She took it, reassured by his firm grip, and stepped down into the boat. It swayed to the right, and the long lace hem of her gown slid over with it. Luke smoothly bended down and gathered the folds into his arms. "Alright, there we are." He gestured grandly for her to sit, and then followed suit by crossing his long legs in front of him.

"Are we really going to do this?" Annabeth asked pensively, mentally remarking on how close she was to the murky water.

Luke laughed. "Annabeth, do you really not want this ride? I can take us to do something else."

She bit her lip. When his sky-blue eyes smiled at her, she felt like she was wrapped in the arms of an old friend. "Fine, carry on, sir."

Grinning, he slid off his satin gloves, neatly tucking them into his front pocket, and picked up the two wooden oars. Soon, with his powerful strokes, they were gently propelled down the wide river.

"What would London think, to see an esteemed lady and lord paddling down the Thames by themselves, out of all things?" Annabeth said teasingly.

Luke pursed his lips, thinking. "True, this is not the most proper of outings. We only have my brother sitting over there, by the banks."

Annabeth hid a smile. Of course, Luke prepared a chaperone. He was not the one to forget rules and mannerisms. "That should be enough," she answered.

"Oh, no, are you expecting something dramatic to happen? I haven't planned any such thing."

"No, not at all. But can you improvise?"

He smiled warmly at her. "I suppose. But everything I can think of involves us getting wet."

"Oh, no!" She gasped theatrically. "Never mind, then."

She then realized that Luke would never even think of doing something improper. All the scenes about boating from romance novels that Piper breathlessly described petered out, and a faint wisp of disappointment hovered in her heart.

They continued to row down the Thames, chatting quietly to the rhythmic stroke of the paddles through water. Finally, with slightly flushed cheeks, Luke put up a hand. "Apologies, my lady, but I cannot continue right now. This is quite an exertion."

Annabeth had to smile. "Oh, no, it's fine." Other than strolls and horseback riding and the occasional races, gentlemen of the ton rarely had so much exercise. An image of broad shoulders and thick forearms under a dark blue waistcoat flashed into her mind, but she immediately shook it away.

Once his breaths steadied, Luke continued to paddle. "Honestly, I have quite a lot of luck to invite you out on this brilliant weather."

"You must," she agreed. The sky was a clear, pale blue, with dustings of clouds trailing along the sides. The air was cool, and while Annabeth had to wear thicker petticoats, the breezes dancing along her cheeks and neck were very relieving. "I'm glad I accepted, even if I had to chance a ride on this dangerous-looking boat."

"I'll have you know I bought if from a rather reputable vendor, even if it was mortal." Luke grinned at her, every part of his expression matching the joking tone of his voice.

"I don't believe it, I've heard the words 'reputable' and 'mortal' in the same sentence!" She said, raising her voice slightly. "Now I'm even more wary of this boat." She trailed her gloved fingers down the thick wooden sides of it.

"If you fall, I'll certainly catch you," he told her confidently. "But then your mother would absolutely abhor me."

"Nonsense, she likes you a lot." This spilled another blush onto her cheeks. She just revealed that her family most definitely wished her to get married to Luke.

If he noticed, he didn't say anything about it. "Really? I can't tell whenever I visit her."

"Well, that's my mother. Trust me, she is far more cordial with you than some others. In fact, I'm sure she'd love a visit from you." Hopefully that would please her, even if they had to skirt around the topic of marriage.

He laughed nervously. "Forgive me, Beth, but I have no idea how to act around her."

"Oh, just a very polite gentleman will do. You're a Hermes child, you know how to charm."

He rubbed a hand against his cheek. "I hope."

"Now, how did we even get to discussing my mother? Let's move on."

"Alright, would you like a turn at the oars?"

She searched his eyes for their usual teasing glint. "I guess." Surprised, he handed her one. Her fingers felt awkward around the thick wooden block. She pulled her arms back, and the oar sluggishly cut through the heavy water. The small wave she created gently rocked her side of the boat for a few sparse seconds.

"Not bad," he said with a smile. "Good job." He took the oar back from her, and she realized she wanted to try again, but they were already moving down the Thames.

They lapsed back into their normal routine, where Luke told her about the current world and she tried to absorb it all. It was a wonderful time, even if she got a little sore from perching quietly in the same spot for so long.

The long morning didn't seem to end. Eventually, Luke steered their boat towards the banks and smiled at her. "Well, are you really to leave?"

She grasped the narrow edge of the boat for a second. Through her glove she could feel that was smooth, but with small indentations in the wood. "Yes," she said. She watched him easily get out, took his head, and stepped back onto dry land. Her legs wobbled a bit from finally standing.

"I learned a lot," she said, pulling her hand from his. "Thank you for this morning."

"Oh, it wasn't anything," he answered easily. "I enjoyed it, too." As the hulking form of one of his younger brothers came closer, their carriage pulled up, ready to bring them home.

"How was it, miss?" Annica asked excitedly, clasping her small hands together.

Annabeth smiled at her distractedly, too busy searching her closet. "It was fine. Now, where did that fine-spun skirt go? Did you add my entire winter closet in here?"

"No, it's not cold enough for some of the heavy gowns you have," Annica answered. "Which fine-spun skirt?"

"The light gray one, with gold brocade," she said, racking her mind for more descriptions. At her word, another maid blazed out of the room, ready to find it.

"Brocade?" One of her closest maids, Julia, asked. "Miss, why are you picking that? I though you preferred lace."

She smiled wanly. In reality, she preferred to wear a plain linen shift without a corset, but she could only do that with a free night and a locked door. "Well, I'm visiting one of Athena's favorite siblings. I have to dress nicely to show my appreciation."

"Who is it?" Annica eagerly asked.

"Hephaestus," she answered. "Athena is a little hostile of him, but she still wanted me to show up in a grand gown."

"Rich families," Julia grumbled under her breath. Annabeth had to smile.

The other maid came back, carefully holding up a thick, flashy piece. "Is it this 'un?" She asked quietly.

"I think so. Annica, will I look alright in it?"

"You look beautiful in every dress," she said adoringly.

Annabeth barely agreed, but she smiled in thanks anyway. "Alright, set it down by my changing screen. Can someone run my bath while I get unchanged?"

Her maids rushed around in a flurry, a few heading to the bathing room next door while others crowded around Annabeth. She stood nimrod straight as they pulled off her elaborate gown and unlaced her corset. Her legs prickled from the autumn cold as her stockings were removed. Annica handed her a pair of sheep wool slippers and led her to the hearth as soon as the other maids took off her underclothes and gave her a new shift.

She didn't have to wait long for her bath to be done, since in this weather large stacks of firewood were kept by the pots of water ready to be boiled. She padded into the next room, where warm steam billowed into her face. She shed her loose shift into the hands of a younger maid and stepped into the hot bath. It was almost scalding, but she didn't mind the heat. She tipped her head back and let her scrunched-up curls fall into the water.

Her favorite bathing maid, Hesper, lathered her hands with soap and then buried her fingers into Annabeth's thick hair. She continuously soaped the locks and then dunked them into the water until they were free of grime. Then she grabbed a softer, lemon-scented soap from the shelf of bathing supplies and scrubbed it all across her head. Finally, she found a pot of rosewood and frankincense oil and pulled a long curl out from the water, rubbing her oil-dipped fingers along it.

While they waited for the slow process of oiling each curl to make them shiny, Annica got her usual lavender soap and smoothed it across her skin. Such a long, complicated bath was a rare luxury, and while Annabeth privately wished that she could just be done with a single soap, she couldn't help enjoy this. She was probably one of the few people outside the Aphrodite house who got such a thorough attending to her hair, but her blond locks were completely in vogue in London and one of her "few good assets," according to Madame Lark.

Finally, when Hesper withdrew her fingers, she was helped out of the bath and a towel was immediately draped across her shoulders. She stepped back into her slippers and over to a small fire cracking in the corner. A stool was pulled up, and once she sat someone guided her hair over her head so it could dry. Through the damp strands she saw Annica picking up a comb and another maid running her fingers over the many jars of lotions. As the heat pushed through the thick wall of darkened blond locks, Annica dragged the tortoiseshell comb through the tangles and she was quickly toweled down. Then steady fingers rubbed herb lotion into her skin to keep it from drying in the cold air.

Annica finally spoke again as she yanked the teeth of the comb through a particularly large knot. "Well, miss, I realized you never really answered my question. How did it go with Luke in the morning?"

"I will never stop getting questioned by you, will I?" She groaned. She could almost see Annica grinning. "No, miss!" she chirped back.

"Like I said, it was fine," she repeated, drawing her shoulders forward so the heat of the fire could touch them too.

"Be more specific, miss," Annica pleaded.

She could feel the ends of her hair drying and curling. The hair on top was much heavier, and shone faintly as they absorbed the oil. "Well, Luke took me on a boat ride on the Thames."

The maids collectively "oohed."

"What happened on the boat?"

"Nothing, really. We just talked." She sensed Annica's arms slackening slightly in disappointment.

"Talked about what?" Julia asked.

She winced as Annica yanked through a large tangle. "Nothing you all would like to hear about."

She heard some more sad sighs.

"That's it?" Annica sputtered. The gentle fingers curled around her ankle, smoothing lotion on top, and then disappeared.

"Sorry to disappoint. Well, I did row once." A lot of eyebrows probably raised at this. "Whats that suppose' to mean?" someone murmured.

"It didn't really mean anything," she answered, shrugging. "It's just what we normally do. Talk."

"Come on, miss! You better not be holding out on us!"

"Again, sorry, but nothing happened. You need to find a new mistress for good gossip."

"Like Lady Piper," Julia grumped. "She always has plenty of things to say."

"Alright, I'm done," Annica called, putting the comb back onto the shelf. Her hair dried quickly afterwards. And then she got dressed, herded into a carriage, and deposited at the Hephaestus mansion. It was the usual routine.

At the door, a young, chubby-cheeked boy smiled up at her. "Who are you?" he asked in an adorable voice.

"Lady Annabeth," she said, curtsying teasingly. "And you?"

"Harley!" He proclaimed proudly.

"Ah. Nice to meet you, Harley. Where are your older siblings?"

He flashed her an annoyed look, like _You moved on from me quickly_. "They're in the biggest hall. Do you need me to take you?"

"No um—actually, sure." She wasn't confident in navigating the ever-growing Hephaestus mansion. Harley led her down the front hall, which was lined with complicated armor and weapons, the smooth wooden floor resounding under her slippers. From what she could she, when the modern glass clock ticked to 6 PM, the candles in their brass holds and the chandelier brightened. That wasn't just it. When she arrived at the foot of the spiral mahogany staircase, the steps soundlessly starting moving upwards. Harley barged on without pause, the movement of the staircase propelling him up faster. Annabeth tentatively stepped up after him, a hand remaining on the smooth lacquered rail.

Harley led her down many more halls, all displaying fantastical inventions and containing rooms filled with tools. He finally rounded a curve, and a bronze plate in front of them flipped around to reveal words etched into it: "The Great Hall."

"Thanks, Harley," she told him, patting his curls and stepping up to the large wooden doors, which swung open at her presence. Inside, under the flickering lights of the huge ornate chandelier, a large group of familiar faces milled by the long table, set in the center. When Annabeth walked across the warm (warm?) marble floors, people began to notice her and started waving.

"Annabeth!" Piper shrieked happily, bounding over. She wrapped her up in a hug with her wide, heavy sleeves. "How are you?"

"Oh, great," she said, smiling back. Piper hooked her arm in hers and chatted excitedly all the way to the table. She found an empty seat between Piper and Miranda, who smiled at her in her usual regal way. The chair slid back for her, the cushion on the seat puffing up before her eyes. When she sat down, a paper place card popped up from the table, and tiny mechanisms folded it so it stood upright. Neat, cursive print read, "Annabeth Chase, Athena."

Thalia, of course, was right over, laying an arm over her shoulders. "How are you, Bethie?"

"Good. How are you?"

"I'm doing fine, except this morning someone visited," she jabbed a long finger at Piper, "and she started making a whole lot of kissy noises with Jason. It totally ruined my mood."

Piper blushed as red as her lipstick. "I wasn't doing anything with him!"

"Sure." Thalia crossed her arms. "Anyway, it's great to see you."

"Yeah. I'm so sorry to hear that Piper had to ruin your day, though."

"Hey!" Her friend yelled.

"You know," Thalia continued on like Piper wasn't there, "I heard from Luke recently. How was your expedition with him this morning?"

Silena leaned across the table, her eyes gleaming. "I just heard a hint of some very good gossip."

"How do you catch every single piece of gossip?" Piper asked incredulously.

Annabeth held up her hands. "Nothing happened. For the SECOND time!"

"Oh, did your awesome maid Julia ask? You're so lucky to have her," Piper said.

"Did nothing really happen?" Silena asked, a furrow appearing between her dark brows. "I thought you two liked each other a lot."

"Well, none of us are really doing anything romantic, if that's what you're asking," Annabeth answered, fiddling with her fingers.

"Okay, well, that's strange. Aren't you two basically engaged?"

"No, we're not even close to that!"

"I've seen you guys together. You are pretty close to it," Piper interrupted.

"Yeah, but not if 'nothing happens! You might as well just be friends at this point.'" Silena fumed.

Thalia leaned in. "That's true. I thought you two were supposed to get married for love. Is something else going on?"

She massaged her temples, barely able to keep track of what was going on. "I think, I mean, I don't know, I like him. But I'm not sure. And I definitely don't know how he feels. But we're probably not just friends. We've spent a lot of time together so far."

Piper grabbed her wrist. "That might not mean anything, dearest."

Thalia folded her arms on the top of Annabeth's chair. "Emotions are just too complicated," she muttered. "Why don't you ask him?"

"No!" Piper and Silena yelled.

"Why not?"

"Guys don't just talk about their feelings. They show it through whatever different ways," Silena said knowledgably.

"Well, I don't recognize any of them," Annabeth sighed.

Miranda peeked over. "Honestly, I think you and Luke are close enough. Just ask in a subtle way. But you need to figure out your own feelings first."

"I have no idea! Sorry, but love expert magic doesn't work on something as unclear as this." She covered her face with her hands.

Piper placed a hand on her shoulder. "Sorry for throwing all this at you. Love is difficult. But you might just achieve it."

"I think I can make this simple for you," Thalia told her. "Does he make you happy?"

"Yeah. I think so."

"Do you like spending time with him?"

"Most of the time." But when she thought about listening to him talk, something knotted at the base of her throat.

"Well, do you want to spend the rest of your life with him?"

She tried to imagine it. Living with him in their own large manor, raising blond-haired kids with bright eyes, a large diamond glinting on her hand. The pictures held security and warmth and reassurance, but she couldn't identify whether or not she wanted it. "I don't know."

Silena sighed. "I think you should wait it out. Spend more time with him. I mean, you'll either end up with a friend or a someone you love. Not bad choices."

"Yeah, even getting married to a friend is fine," Miranda said softly.

But the emotions in her heart curled like a fist. She wanted something more than that. Something that her mother disapproved of, something that was infamously hard to get. She wanted to wake up in her own house with someone smiling down at her, with love.

She lifted off the metal top, lit the candle inside, and then set the lantern on the table beside the other two glowing ones.

Before her, the servant boy finished stoking the hearth, bowed to her, and disappeared.

"Do you really want to be sewing at night by yourself?" Her butler had asked when she requested him to prepare the sitting room for a few hours. A part of her, now, regretted asking him, since it was dark and quiet in here, despite all her efforts to brighten it here. But it would make a good place to think.

She smoothed out a small linen cloth on the table and picked up a needle. Once she got a pale blue thread through the hole, she poked the sharp end through the edge of the cloth and pulled the thin, delicate thread through.

Once she started a basic border, she set aside the cloth for a second to lift her purse from the seat beside her. She gingerly plucked out the folded piece of paper between the satin lining and pulled it open with the tips of her fingers. She was getting ready to go to bed early, though sleep would probably not find her for a while, when a wary-looking boy approached her in the hallway. He told her that this letter took many extents to send, and it was private. She had a couple of theories about who it was from, but they weren't pleasant.

A crisply monogrammed page with lines upon lines of scraggly, unreadable handwriting greeted her. She set it closer to the light, picked up her embroidery again, and began her attempt at reading it.

"Hello, Annabeth," was scrawled at the top. All her suspicions about the mysterious letter settled into dreadful certainty. She recognized that handwriting. An image of the words "Lord Perseus Jackson, Poseidon" scribbled onto her fresh dance card was well-preserved her in memory. With a scowl, she continued squinting at the difficult script.

"I have taken great lengths to send this. Every past letter I've sent did not receive any reply, and I believe that such a mannered lady such as yourself would answer to any suitor. Additionally, all my messengers have came back shame-faced with an enraged message that could certainly not come from someone as demure as you. So I realized someone was interfering with our correspondence. This is why I am writing this letter and sending it from Jason's house. He sends his greetings and apologizes…" There was a blank, and then some crossed out words. If Annabeth had to guess, Jason wanted to apologize for helping a dimwit (or something like that) and Percy was insulted. "Never mind him. He isn't important." Then there was an ink smear, like someone knocked over the ink pot while shoving someone else. "Anyways, it was a terribly long time since I've seen you last. I cannot bear waiting for another chance to meet you. I must hear from you. How are you? Doing well? I hope the stress of having too many propriety lessons is not plaguing you presently." Annabeth's needle slowed in shock. How did he know? Did Piper tell him? "It is a terrible aliment, and I very much wish to fly in through the window, sweep you up in my arms, and whisk you to a grassy meadow where we can finally be alone." Her traitorous brain began conjuring up images of lying in long grass, tightly wrapped in his strong arms, staring into his eyes… She lightly prickled herself with a needle to bring herself back to reality. "However, I fear that your reputation would be truly ruined, and I sincerely don't want that. And I know that you can handle it, Lady Athena." This was a strange string of compliments. She shook her head in annoyance. "But I do really want to see you again. Is it possible that you could arrange anything at all? I want to hold you tight, touch your porcelain skin, see your hair turn into spun gold in the sun. I want to see your wondrous eyes again. They are the sky before it rains, the thunderclouds that race through the sky, a newly paved road. They are beauty, just as you." Tingles spread throughout her body, and her cheeks heated. Her last row of stitches was so sloppy she had to cut them and do it again. "Your voice haunts my dreams, Annabeth. Everything you say is repeated in my mind. I will never stop saying your name, because it is the best song in the world. I will never stop painting your face, because it is so elegant. I will never stop grasping at you, until you give me your heart." Her heart was presently doing flips in her rib cage, and she'd given up on her sewing entirely. "So just give up, Annabeth. I'm giving you an enviable offer. You can't escape me, and I'm not going to stop this. So, accept. I know you're strongly attracted to me. It's not surprising. And this might be the only time someone you're so obsessed with opens up, so take me, Annie. Or else you'll regret it for the rest of your life if I marry someone else." She snarled in indignation, tossing aside the paper. Did his ego ever stop growing? He just had to hand her all those poetic compliments, playing with her feelings, and then march in his smugness once again. She fumed for a bit, then decided to finish the letter. "Please? We'd be beautiful together. I'd buy us a huge house, with brilliant architecture, and I'll even add a library for you. And think of the children we'd have. They'd have your beautiful eyes, or my sculptured features. They'd be born from some of the most powerful families in London. Look at all this opportunity. I really do like you, Annabeth Chase. What do you say? Reply with a place we can meet up at? Until then, farewell. Percy." Then there was the lightning bolt, Zeus' symbol.

Annabeth placed the letter down and sat back, her fingers tracing the delicate thread on the cloth. This was a very complicated letter. She could see-or at least hope for-sparse moments of sincerity. And when he started praising her attributes, he stopped being a too-arrogant nemesis. He seemed like an enamored suitor, and her emotions were flying as she read those beautiful words over and over. She was probably just clinging onto false hope, but his irony and sarcasm seemed to dissipate at the very core of those words. But when his ego inflated to the size of a blue whale? There was no uncertainty there. He was unarguably a jerk and a buffoon. _Still_ , her heart whispered, _someone who can write something so incredible cannot be all bad. Take him, Annabeth_. She shook off the lingering hints of longing and pushed the letter even further from her.

Rationality overtook again. She would refuse, ask him to earn some manners. And she would post the letter a week later, to make him wait or hopefully, worry. He deserved it. She sat upright, spine stiff, and glared into the flickering flames of the hearth. Men were the most bothersome of this world. She picked up her cloth again and continued sewing, this time with short, impeccable stitches. Thoughts raced around her mind, and she made no effort to sort them out, only listened to them.

She'd been sitting there for quite a while when the first lantern, to the left, burned out. Frowning, she reached over, her large sleeve crashing into her purse. When she picked it up to set it further away, her fingers felt something soft inside. She reached in and pulled out three pressed lily petals. They were a warm, orangey-yellow in the firelight, and they still had a faint, pleasant scent. Annabeth held them up to her nose, and the velvety petals grazed her skin like a breeze. She set them down, studying them curiously. How did they get into her purse? An improbable idea struck her. What if they were tucked into the folds of the letter? The boy who handed it to her did tell her to handle it carefully.

She searched the pale paper for any note about it, or any sign of the petal getting pressed inside it. None. She flipped the paper over, and there, at the bottom, said, "You rather like flowers, don't you? Well, I rather like giving you them. Enjoy this gift from me, Annabeth. You smelled just like it the time we danced."

Her heart thumped loudly, and the paper dampened slightly in her sweaty hands. If Perseus remembered something like that, and could perform such a sweet gesture, he was way too complicated for her to simply dismiss. As she continued stitching, she knew that she was definitely going to have to prepare a special letter back.

 **Okay, well, that's it. Was it too weird or random? Yeah, I didn't really plan this part that thoroughly, but I realized I have to give Percy some more development before I keep working on their relationship. This is going to be the story where they actually get a whole bunch of character development and figure out stuff about themselves and actually solve problems they have. In my past stories I always just introduced a whole bunch of issues to make them more realistic, and then threw them down a tornado of Percabeth. Which is awesome and all, but not exactly high-quality writing.**

 **But thanks for ready my exams-are-over-relapse chapter. It's not too long or impressive, but the quality turned out okay. And I did work hard on this (unlike when I'm studying *cough*). Seriously, I got all sorts of problems from writing this. You see, I decided to balance my laptop on my lap, and then I couldn't feel my feet, so I put it down but I can't get to the right eye level with it, even though I'm lying down on the floor. Yeah, okay, no one needed to hear that. Hopefully it provided some amusement for the people who are going to read this on Monday.**

 **Also, one last note. I'm having break now, so I'm going to post pretty frequently. Get ready for that. And when this is out of the way, I'm staring a new story. (I always have a new story up my sleeves, guys. Always.) I might post a teaser summary soon.**

 **Review replies:**

 **Abidoodle.e: Yeah, well, I suck at formal talk anyway, so I'm glad you liked the casual conversation. It's way more fun to write. Thank you for complimenting my description, since I probably spend way too much time on that. You totally should search up those flowers, they're really pretty and make great wallpapers.** **Sorry for making you wait more than usual…**

 **Ashspren: Wow, that is so sweet. I adored your review. I literally read it, like, six times. Thank you for the compliments. Breathtaking is one of the best ways someone's ever described my writing. I can't believe that you like** _ **every**_ **part, but thanks. I will keep writing, definitely.**

 **JC RH: Hey, long time no see! Your reviews are actually really nice. I totally need to use some constructive criticism. Well, the first part wasn't really supposed to be related, but I get it. I'll probably keep chapters consecutive from now on. I'm glad you liked my very ambiguous and weird ending, I kind of did it in a rush. Thanks a lot, though.**

 **Demigods-Rule: Prepare for a short lecture, sorry. Annabeth, living in the Athena house, doesn't know a lot about men. She doesn't have a chance for a lot of experiences either, so she definitely can't tell. Most of the men she does encounter are really polite and well-mannered, but Percy is just, well, Percy. Also, their emotions aren't too real for each other at this point, since they don't know one another that well yet. Don't worry, they will** _ **very**_ **soon. But, yeah, thanks for pointing that out. It was helpful. Thanks for your whole review, and I will hopefully not stop updating.**

 **Au revior,**

 **Pride-and-loyalty**


	10. Chapter 10

**Welp, it's me again, some time later. Sorry for making you guys wait, yeah, that's not really nice, but this is pretty long. About the updating more regularly thing… it's going to come into play soon.**

 **Anyways, I realized that last chapter was pretty weird and hard to stomach. Sorry. Hopefully, this one'll won't be confusing at all. My goal is to make it transparent and high-quality.**

 **Enjoy!**

"Higher, Annabeth, higher!" Madame Lark's voice rang out sharply.

She gripped the metal bar harder, clenched her jaw, and pushed up with her toes. She was raised to standing on the very tip of her feet. Her feet felt like they were getting crushed, and the coldness of the wooden floor bore into her veins. Sweat beaded on her neck from how hard she was setting her jaw.

Madame Lark slowly swept around her in a circle, her hawk-like eyes examining every inch of her posture. "Did you even put on a corset this morning?" She prodded Annabeth's stiff and heavily padded waist with a bony finger. "You don't look any slimmer."

Her blood was pounding in her head. The corset the maids put on her this morning was one of her smallest. The bar was getting slippery under her hands.

Madame Lark continued to circle her. "I want you to stand completely straight. You are almost folded in half. And set your hands further apart. Now— oh my! You're sweating! Get down!"

She sank down, shoving her weight back onto the arches of her feet. A low sigh of relief escaped her lips. Madame Lark's black eyes narrowed at the sound of it. "Are you complaining, Miss Athena?"

"No, madam," she mumbled.

"Are you?" She asked louder, her thin eyebrows knotting together in anger.

"No," she said loudly and clearly. "Madam."

Madame Lark pursed her lips into a tiny wrinkled purse. "As a lady, you are to be married in months. What gentleman would wed you if you couldn't even stand up? Or dance properly?"

She lowered her gaze, like she was supposed to. Exhaustion of the same lecture, over and over, weighed at her limbs.

"Only your beauty and manners could make you a choice for a bride," Madame Lark droned on. "Both of those are clearly undeveloped. You need to make an effort to be graceful and mannered if you want a husband and a family. Every daughter of Athena is supposed to married to a rich and successful family. But you are far from attracting any eligible bachelor." She glowered down at her for a bit, then cleared her throat. "You may leave now. This lesson is over."

Annabeth curtsied, bid her teacher farewell, and strode outside the dancing room, shame clinging onto her with firm hands. Suddenly, Madame Lark called out, "Wait, Annabeth!"

She spun around, her skirts flying, exposing their many lace petticoats. She realized that her movement was too abrupt and opted for slow, almost-gliding steps over to Madame. "Yes, madam?"

She peered down at her from her long, ridged nose. "Do not, in the future, perspire so much. It is unseemly in a lady and should not occur." With that, she lifted her chin, turned, and glided off.

Annabeth felt her eyes grow wide, then narrow at the irony. What was she supposed to do about a physical condition? Annoyance suddenly rose inside her, along with heat. All these insufferable expectations of her were completely unattainable. She clenched her gloved fists, not caring if she wrinkled the delicate satin fabric, and stormed down the halls, her skirts flying. She rushed down the stairs and turned into a side hallway before remembering her reason to be here. A slow smile smoothed out her angry features.

She excitedly headed over to the double doors by the end of the hallway. She knocked twice, then picked up her skirts and walked inside. The air of the kitchen was warm and steamy. Long counters were stacked with bubbling pots and pans, while other aproned servants kept to the center tables, where they chopped food at a flying speed. Flour was sprinkled across almost all of the smooth wood surfaces, joined by drips of sauces. Appliances and strings of herbs hung from the ceiling and walls. She picked her way through different cooks and maids, hard at work, holding her silky skirts close to herself. As she stepped out of the way of servants carrying boiling pots or partially cleaned poultry, their eyes all widened and followed her closely. Finally she got to the back, where a huge oven's heat basted her face and neck.

A rotund chef in a large flour-dusted uniform had his back to her, his large fingers expertly kneading yellowed dough. Jars of cream and milk and a basket of eggs surrounded him, and a slightly dented mixing bowl sat patiently by his elbow. "Chef?" She called, raising her voice to be heard over the crackling of flames in the oven.

He spun around, and his face split into a wide grin. "Miss Chase!" He proclaimed loudly. "How are you? Do you like your first trip inside the kitchen?"

"It's nice," she answered politely. Honestly, aside from soon getting berated for staining her gown, she enjoyed the energy and productivity in the air. And since it was nearing dinnertime, the smells were heavenly. But she only wanted one particular smell. "Thanks for inviting me. Can I pick up my gift?"

"Sure!" He wiped his hands on a towel and reached up to a shelf beside the oven. He lifted down a plate of perfectly shaped, yellow-and-brown pastries. The tart smell of the citrus icing and the sweetness from the confectioners' sugar dusting them was already enticing her. She steadied her fingers, trying to grasp the madeleines at her first glimpse of them.

"Wait," the chef teased, wagging a finger at her. He went to a lower cabinet, lifted out a small beaten sliver box, laid out a lacey handkerchief at the bottom, then stacked the madeleines inside. Then he found a blue ribbon and neatly tied a bow at the top. His fingers might've been pudgy, but he'd spent years icing the most delicate flowers onto three-tier cakes. "Here you go, milady," he said, handing to her. "Enjoy them."

"Thank you, Chef!" She said with uncharacteristic gratitude. She swept into a low curtsy.

"Spare me your elegance, Annabeth. I'm too lowly for that." He was still grinning widely.

"I so thankful for these, Chef. Goodbye." She curtsied again, carefully weaved her way through the kitchen, and darted upstairs to her own sitting room. She stuffed half of them into her mouth almost all at once, then remembered to call for tea to have with it.

A maid helped make the tea, then graceful lifted the large teapot and poured warm brown tea into her tiny gold-rimmed teacup. She stirred in the sugar, plated the madeleines without needing to be asked, and left with a curtsy. Annabeth was about to continue feasting when she remembered that she had to save one, which she placed back into the box.

When she'd drained the last drop of earl grey tea, only the single remaining madeleine that was tucked away, she settled into the pillow behind her. Her eyes caught the short grandfather clock in the corner, and her mood downed a little.

 _Remember what you told yourself_ , she thought. _The madeleines are your reward for tonight. You better behave._

She sighed softly. Then she called for two maids. One to clean up the tea, one to mail the box to Piper. Her best friend was lucky, getting an extra madeleine and not having to attend the ball tonight.

When she was done enjoying herself, she headed to her room and started reviewing appropriate conversation topics and her manners. If she must talk with adults at the ball, she could not afford to make a single improper mishap.

"Miss, why are you invited to this ball?" Julia asked. She was probably just trying to take Annabeth's mind off the new corset the other maids were lifting out of a case, but she sounded fairly curious.

She smiled at Julia as a fine linen chemise was slipped over her head. "It's a dinner for all the Olympian adults, which is a rare and elaborate occasion. Recently, some of my relatives have been bringing their children, so now almost everyone selects their favorite child to show off. Athena, somehow, decided to pick me."

Annica leaned over. "Of course, miss. You're the most beautiful and the most smart. Plus you have the best manners."

She smiled wanly. "That is hardly so. But thank you, Annica."

"See!" She crowed, pointing at her.

The other maids joined in, piling up compliments. "You are no doubt the most skilled child she has. There is no one else she should pick," Annica stated confidently.

She let them lead her to the pole by the dressing area. "No. Almost all of my siblings are smarter. And I barely have any manners."

Julia set her hands on her hips and raised her chin. "Miss, you need to see that you are the best. Every one of us can tell."

She fell silent as the whalebone structure was placed around her torso, and sucked in a breath right before they started yanking the strings through the back. Then they secured a new dress, which Athena picked, around her. It was quite a beautiful one. The torso was a medium gray, and the full skirt was a firm blond fabric, with dove silk curtaining both sides. Seed pearls trailed down the embroidered front, both for decoration and to make her appear thinner. Frothy lace puffed up from the low collar, and an almost identical hem was draped from the edges of the leg-of-mutton sleeves. A matching shrug, graphite-colored with blond fabric lining the sleeves came afterwards. Even the satin slippers had the most delicate stitching on it, with seed pearls sewed on by the toes.

At her vanity, the maids took care with keeping her curls' original shapes, braiding and pining them into a small, curled-up bun at the back of her head. They also tugged out a few extra strands to fall down against her neck, as it was the current fashion. They secured a thin headband of diamonds above her hairline, and a few diamond-crusted pins onto or beside the bun to match. A large, circular sapphire in light blue rested in the hollow of her throat, with tiny crystals lined up away from it on the delicate sliver chain. Heavy earrings made of slivery-blue opals and white topaz hung at her earlobes.

While these jewelry pieces were selected to show wealth, they were also carefully picked to compliment her stark gray irises. Only when it came to her bracelets did the Athena house's most common gray diamonds appear, just in case they could outshine her eyes. On her index finger was a large band of gold, with a teardrop-shaped piece of champagne diamond. Then came an assortment of moonstone and obsidian and amethyst rings. Only at important family dinners did Athena get this excessive. She'd even got her a new set of makeup. Her maids eagerly examined the pearl powder for her face, beeswax and crushed flowers to make a lip salve, multiple dyes, a foul-smelling concoction of eye paint, and even crushed aventurines. Julia stood up and expertly applied it.

When she was done, Annabeth's complexion was paler, her cheeks rosier, her lips shinier and reddened. If one peered closely, they could see the faintly colored eye paint and the tiny pieces of jewels on her eyelashes. But it was not too obvious that she was wearing any makeup, because that was spoken against, though still privately done by all ladies. _That was a good way to sum up most of the things women of the ton did_ , she thought dryly.

"You look completely natural, miss," her maids praised. "You don't need so much makeup."

"But all the precious stones would make you glitter," Annica noted. "You would look like an Aphrodite daughter in the ballroom, miss."

She blushed. "Alright, you all may stop with the flattery. I don't see why you're using it at all."

"Have you considered that we actually believe what we're saying, Lady Annabeth? You're so modest, you must be the most proper lady in all of London," one of the newer, maids proclaimed bravely.

Julia grinned, dimples appearing in her tawny cheeks. "I thought Athena's daughters were supposed to be prideful."

She studied the gleaming lacquered surface of her vanity. "All I know about what Athena expects from me is perfection."

"Then she's clearly not expecting anything right about now," Annica said, and the other maids nudged her, appreciative of the clever comment. Annabeth just rolled her eyes and stood up, her full skirts marking a wide radius of space just for herself. The seamstresses' daughter, Willie, eyed the silk approvingly.

"She's bound to go now," Annica declared, pushing them off to the side. "Come on, now, make space for our lady." They all smiled and waved as she left her bedchambers and ascended down the grand staircase to the first floor. A rouge image flashed into her mind, where she was stepping down a similar, but newer staircase, wearing a looser, and a tall, broad-shoulder man was waiting down by the feet of the stairs. She got the sense that she was supposed to know that man very well. She immediately shook that picture out of her head, but the stirring, breathless emotion that came with it still lingered.

She took in a breath, trying to clear her head, and stepped down the rest of the stairs. Her butler was politely waiting by the side, his hands folded and facing to the right. Only when her slippers were softly grazing the marble floor did he send her a quick smile and turn so they were both facing forward. She took his arm and let him lead her to Athena's grandest carriage. The gold tassels rimming the whole thing and the heavy brocades on the dappled gray chests of their horses shone in the dawn light. Annabeth was about to admire the modern, clever shape of the structure when someone in front of it caught her eye. Athena.

Her heart skipped a beat. Athena looked stunning tonight. Her gown was dark gray with paler, rippling swirls, and it had a silken gleam, like it was water rippling over dark pebbles. A gold penchant hung around her neck, and her slate-gray gloves were covered with fetching black-and-white lace. But as her mother turned to face her, it became clear what was the star of this masterpiece. Her platinum hair-so similar to Annabeth's-was pulled back into a sleek, unbraided bun. This left her face completely uncovered, and without any of the unseemly makeup her eyes were the first thing you noticed, awe-inspiring and so intimidating Annabeth felt her knees tremble. They appeared to be a thousand different tints of gray, all melting into one harsh charcoal in the faint afternoon light. Like thunderclouds gathering all over the sky and pausing, determining whether you were worth their torrent.

"Hello, Annabeth," she said in a voice like a glacier slicing through frigid waters: icy, but calm.

"Mother," she answered, trying to keep her own dull voice from trembling. She curtsied carefully and slowly, keeping her eyes on the ground and trying to not flinch at all the mistakes she was probably making with the basic movement.

"Are you ready for this ball?" Athena's eyes seemed to stare down at her, even more than before.

She folded her hands, feeling the cold of her gemstone rings through her thin white gloves. She hoped Athena could not see how much she was fumbling with them. "I believe so, Mother."

She raised her knife-sharp chin. "What was that?"

She realized her mistake too late. "Yes, I am ready." She continued looking down submissively.

Athena studied her coldly. "That gown does not look too horrible. Good." Without so much as a flick of her hand, she turned and accepted the waiting footman's hand, easily stepping inside the carriage.

Annabeth mentally counted the number of seconds she should wait before following, which was specifically decreed in "The Guidebook for Proper Young Aristocrat Ladies of London." She closely followed most of which what was prescribed inside, since formality was possibly inbred into her nature, but some of the rules she detested for how absurd they were. Yet, around Madame Lark and Athena those, specifically, were a must. The footman dutifully helped her up, and she demurely took a seat across from her mother. The air immediately felt stifling, but no lady ought to be sitting by an open window.

The carriage quietly rolled forward, the only sound of their journey the soft patter of horse hooves on paved road. Annabeth kept her gaze firmly glued to her seed-pearl-sewn slippers and tried to ignore the occasional cool brush of her mother's look.

It seemed like an eternity, after which Annabeth's spine began to ache from remaining completely and utterly upright, when the hooves stopped clattering. There was only the tiniest shift between them two as they both realized they'd arrived. The same footman, with his large and pompous breeches, gracefully swung the door open and held out a gloved hand.

Athena performed many impossible feats in a row at this point. She half-straightened up, since one could not stand upright under the carriage's low ceiling, but she had not lost her perfect posture at all. In fact, she looked as commanding as she would've with a ruler-straight spine while bending halfway at her waist. She faced the footman with a in-control, almost-smile and delicately took his offered hand. Then she stepped out, straightening so gracefully it was like she never crouched before in her life.

Annabeth… did not perform something close to that. She rather not go into detail. A second, shorter footman smoothly slid into formation next to her. Athena always had a plan to be played out. She took his arm a moment after Athena did with hers without needing to be asked.

Before them was the grandest building in London. The Olympus Mansion. It was designed like an ethereal, ancient palace with the most expensive measures found. Annabeth was taller than the average lady, and her relatives all possessed the power to tower over everyone around them, but the gaping entryway dwarfed them all. She gingerly stepped onto the cloud-white marble of the driveway, feeling shivers race down her spine whenever her feet touched the thick gold veins shooting through the stone. Orderly garden plots were set on both sides, with emerald-green grass and exotic flowerbeds. Athena's eyes were hard stones as she easily ascended the tall stretch of steps before the entrance. Before the doors was an empty stretch of pure white marble, lined with orderly Grecian columns. The spotless limestone towers reached up to an elaborate frieze of all the Olympians, sculpted by the most talented artist of this century. The glorious carvings of their family stretched across the whole mansion. Right in front of them were two imposing wooden doors, taller than the heavens, were thrown wide open to display a ballroom-sized front hall. Well-dressed servants stood beside each door, smiling formally.

The footmen retrieved their arms from them both with precise timing, and Annabeth mildly stepped up so she was just next to Athena.

The servant waiting closest to them bowed lowly. "Many thanks, Your Grace, for attending this banquet."

"Welcome to the Olympus Mansion," the servant beside him said with impeccable Queen's English. The servants of this place that were required to talk to their masters received an education, Annabeth guessed.

Right afterwards, the cordial but formal gazes of the two greeters landed on her. "Thank you for coming to this banquet, Lady Athena." "Welcome to the Olympus Mansion."

She offered them her most ladylike smile, hoping it wasn't stiff, and followed her mother inside.

The front hall was breathtaking. It was the size of the largest ballroom she'd ever been in, and a thousand times more lavish. The tall walls were covered with expensive yellow satin, embroidered with actual gold thread. The floor was covered with a huge and ancient Persian carpet, but where it stopped gleaming mahogany wood floorboards were displayed. Beaten gold scones hung at regular intervals on the walls, and the expensive metal was so thin Annabeth could see the flickering candlelight inside. From the impossibly high ceiling hung a gigantic chandelier, almost the size of their carriage. It was set in thin, curving strands of bronze, and intricately carved diamonds hung down from each tendril as a thick fringe. Cups of gold were carefully set on the longest branches, where tall candles resided. Annabeth's back hurt to think of a servant who had to climb onto a ladder to switch out or light thousands of candles every day.

Athena swept through the room without so much of a glance around the room. Annabeth tried to keep her pace brisk while gliding. They started seeing Athena's relatives, gathered around the expensive artworks set on display or chatting by the velvet chairs set up beside miniature hearths. Athena coolly appraised her siblings with quick, condescending looks, searching for someone worthy of conversation.

But someone found her instead. "Athena!" someone yelled, cutting through the room with long, confident strides. She certainty wasn't gliding, but Annabeth still admired her attention-drawing movements. Nike came to a stop in front of them and brashly threw her arms around Athena, who stood stiffly in the familiar embrace, but still managed to look the most proper.

"Hello, Nike," she said in her usual still voice. "How are you?"

She smiled confidently. "Me? Perfectly fine." Nike was probably one of her mother's most unladylike friends. She looked the part, in a loose golden gown and her dark hair braided up, but otherwise nothing else followed the lines of society. Her beautiful face was too angular face, and muscles stood out all over her form. She was a loud, very forward person who always won no matter what she did and showed it off.

Normally, Athena would have no connection to someone like Nike. She owned one of the smaller estates in London, which did not fare well to her reputation among the Olympians. And she never allowed anything to do with afternoon tea and lace gloves. But it was here, with her original home, did Annabeth catch a glimpse of her mother's true self. Athena's eyes glittered like the edge of a metal blade, and she wore an amused, prideful smile which was certainly prohibited in every book about manners. She still had grace draped across her shoulders like a shrug, but cunning fitted her like armor. She looked like a trendy and properly-dressed mastermind assassin, if Annabeth was to be honest. Someone who was completely comfortable around someone with the likes of Nike.

They started casually strolling down the hall, chatting about something decidedly not who married who and who owned which estate, and Annabeth had to dutifully trail afterwards. She wouldn't exactly be missed if she left, and Mother wasn't going to berate her for not following the rules when she was like this, but in such a grandiose house like she felt the need to cling to manners. Finally, she won her internal debate and started searching the hall for someone her age.

Hephaestus and Beckendorf were far too immersed in something that looked like a steam engine for her to go over and tap his shoulder. Aphrodite brought one of her younger sons with a face of a cherub that Annabeth didn't recognize. She found Clarisse, but she knew better than to go over. Finally, she spotted Miranda sitting in one of the leather armchairs and nursing a cup of steaming tea. Annabeth settled herself into the one across from her.

"Good afternoon, Miranda. How are you enjoying this dinner banquet?" She kept her voice light and formal, but her smile was a warm, friendly one.

"Annabeth! Just who I wanted to see." Miranda set down her teacup in a saucer with delicate gold-and-sliver inlay. The garnets in the thick gold handle glittered with the light of the hearth. She looked more closely at the cup and found pinkish water with small flower petals resting at the bottom. Figures. "Well, to be frank, I'm enjoying this banquet a lot right now, but when we actually have to dine, I'll definitely reconsider that."

She smiled ironically. "I agree. You don't think that we'll have arranged seating placements, right? It's my first time here."

"Ah. Isn't it a huge honor? Though, kind of dull sometimes." Miranda reached over and clasped her hand with her own gloved one.

"Oh, that's a perfect description. Honestly, I'm completely surprised that my mother picked me."

Miranda's blond eyebrows drew together. "Why? You're clearly the smartest child she has."

"Not you, too. Why is everyone throwing so many compliments at me today?"

"Are you just acting modest? The Annabeth I know has a healthy amount of pride."

She smiled. Alright, maybe she did. She just never saw herself as incredible under her Mother's eyes, because she wasn't. "That's another compliment, Miranda. Thalia says my pride stacks up the clouds."

Miranda threw her head back and laughed, a boisterous but elegant laugh. "Now I must stop, I see. Otherwise your pride could reach the moon."

Thalia suddenly appeared beside them, dragging a stuffed armchair behind her. She planted it between them and sat, leaning in, her many obsidian-and-gold necklaces hanging over the low table. "Did I just hear something about the moon?"

Miranda repeated the last part, and she was roaring with laughter and slapping her knee. Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Is this necessary?"

"Yes," Thalia said in a condescending _I'm_ way _older than you_ voice. "You need to be put in your place, sweetheart."

"Honestly, how does on even follow these conversations? Just a few seconds ago, Miranda said I was being too modest, and now I'm missing my place?"

"If you didn't change so often, Annie, maybe we would make more sense," Thalia suggested sweetly.

She groaned. "Miranda and I were having a rather civilized conversation until you came along, Thales. And call me Annabeth, please."

"Sure thing, Annie."

She lowered her eyelids in disappointment at both of them. Miranda was openly laughing now, and Thalia's smirk stretched around her whole face. "I actually wish Mother didn't pick me. This banquet sounds dull, and now I'm getting bothered by my friends."

"Come on, Annabeth. I think it's wonderful that our parents picked us."

"Actually," Thalia stated matter-of-factly, grinning, "I'm here with Artemis." She pulled up her sleeve to show a sliver bracelet with a tiny deer penchant.

She fought back a smile. "Well. This banquet is far nicer with you two."

Annabeth had only been at the Mansion for around ten minutes when, finally, everyone got here. A herald announced at the stairs, "Dinner will commence soon, everyone please way their way to the dining hall." A small flock of well-dressed aristocrats gathered together and headed up the spiral staircase. They emerged onto long hallway with elaborate, almost life-sized portraits of the Olympians. Zeus went straight to the second door to the right. A servant standing by it pushed open the heavyset oak door, and the sweet scent of the flower bouquets set up on the long table wafted out.

An extremely well-dressed servant stepped up and cleared his throat. "Welcome, The Most Honorable Duke Zeus and The Most Honorable Duchess Hera." He turned to Jason, standing perfectly still next to his father. "Welcome, Lord Jason Grace, Zeus."

Poseidon was next, a warm smile on his suntanned face. Annabeth felt Athena stiffen beside her. "Welcome, The Most Honorable Duke Poseidon. Welcome, Lord Perseus Jackson, Poseidon." Annabeth's own grip on her reticule tightened in annoyance as she thought of their past meetings.

This went on. Athena got to enter after Hephaestus, so she was near the front of the line, but the servant's monotone greeting could still be heard as she took her assigned seat at the dining table. Her plate had golden swirls on its edges and a fine linen napkin tucked underneath. Her cutlery was thick sliver, and her glass was yellow-tinged crystal. A profusion of bright flowers sat across from her.

Finally, after getting formally greeted, everyone was seated. Luckily, she was put next to Miranda, but Thalia was a few seats away. They chatted on about their current lives, which was much more preferred than usual "appropriate" conversational topics.

Dinner was served, and as Annabeth cautiously tried the imported French dishes, she heard all about Miranda's personal garden. In turn, she talked about her manner lessons and all the courting she'd been involved with. They ended up doing quite a bit of gossiping, especially about Katie and Travis, so it was a pretty enjoyable evening.

The banquet went on as most did. Everyone dined until the sun set, and then they retreated to a ballroom for dancing. Thalia joined them as they surveyed the crowd for potential partners. Miranda got asked by Lee, and Lord Apollo determinedly pestered Thalia until she gave in, to the anger of Artemis. Annabeth decided to turn away at the sight of her aunt storming over to her twin, her sliver skirts flying and a deep scowl on her face.

She found Beckendorf milling by the edges and stopped in front of him. "Hello. How are you?"

"Oh, good. How are you?"

She decided to abandon prosperity. "I'm alright. This wasn't as bad as I thought."

Beckendorf grinned. "Yeah, well, sometimes it's not too bad. Are you here so we can dance together?"

"No, I'm here to save us from the awkwardness of standing around. So, basically the same thing."

He continued grinning. "Alright, then. May I have this dance?"

"You may." She held up her wrist and a fountain pen. He messily scratched his name on the dangling dance card and handed back the pen before bowing. She swiftly followed with a curtsy and extended her hand. He took it and gently led her to the dance floor.

He wasn't the most elegant dancer, in fact, his huge shoulders often bumped into nearby couples and his strength was too much for a simple twirl, but it was a fun dance nonetheless. He had a gentleness to the way he touched her, and Annabeth immediately understood why he and Silena were together.

Annabeth was next on Apollo's target list, and the whole dance he was playing matchmaker by whispering random things about Luke in her ear. She smiled faintly back at him and shot Artemis a pleading look when they were done, and he no longer bothered any other young ladies.

She had another few dances with Luke, and for the most part she was trying to push out all the scandalous advice Apollo had just given her out of her mind. But they were nice, familiar dances, but the way he sometimes smiled at her caused her throat to tighten. Why, she had no idea.

After the quadrille, she was panting and flushed from hopping around and hooking her arm into a new person's every few seconds. Plus, she was weary from stiffening every time Luke stared straight at her. So she excused herself and left for one of the tall glass doors in the back.

The heavy glass panes were cold under her gloved palms. She pushed it open and stepped out into the cool night air. It helped clear her mind a little.

She dwindled in the lantern-lit terrace for a bit. Little table sets were placed around the smooth wooden floor, just like in the hall. She took a seat in one of the satin-covered chairs and settled the cushiony pillow behind the small of her back. But sitting down made her mind race faster than ever. She took one of the brass oil lanterns from a low table and headed to the edge of the terrace. A thin wooden rail, up to her waist, guarded it from the manicured backyard. She propped her thick skirts against it and stared up at the thin clouds and the stars in the sky. Questions about her and Luke and others swirled in her mind. What Piper had once joked about her came true. She had so many suitors and she had no idea what to do with any of them.

Suddenly, a faint rushing sound reached her ears. It was gentle, more of a trickle, but definitely moving water. She held up her lantern, but it only illuminated a wide circle of grass. She leaned precariously over the rail, and then noticed a streak of moonlight streaming out from the clouds, lighting up a cluster of cattails and a river beyond that.

Annabeth's fingers tapped the railing indecisively. She really wanted to go see it, but she wasn't sure trekking through grass was the best idea while others waited for her inside. Just like earlier, when she was deciding whether or not to leave Athena, her more rebellious side won out. She hiked up her skirts and immediately realized the problem. She was not going to be able to lift one leg up over the railing and then the other, like she would've normally. The railing rose to where her belly button was. She placed both hands on top and pushed up, ungracefully seating herself on the thin bar of wood in the same motion. It creaked dangerously under her weight. She quickly threw both legs over to the other side, stabilizing herself with her arms. Then she had to pull her voluminous skirts over before turning completely. With a dramatic flourish, she dropped a few inches to the grassy floor, her skirts flying up temporarily. She lifted them and soon discovered that the neatly trimmed grass was still rather tall and got caught up with her slippers. She developed an indelicate trudge-walk where she mainly tried to keep both her gown and feet from the ground. Eventually she made her way to the moonlight-soaked grounds.

The cattails rustled musically in the wind, and a few remaining narcissus flowers hung pitifully over the streaming river. The waters themselves were liquid sliver in the moonlight, pouring along with easygoing calmness. She admired the view, congratulating herself for making the trip, when gentle splashes caught her attention. She turned and, she couldn't help herself, gasped loudly.

Sitting stoically by the riverbank was Lord Perseus himself. His usual deep-colored jacket was gone, only a starched shirt that was a bit tight around his shoulders. The first button of it was undone, and the strip of exposed skin looked like marble under the moonlight. Shivers racked Annabeth at how scandalous this was. His tousled raven locks almost blended in with the night, but they had a soft, silken sheen. His fancy breeches looked completely out of place with the rest of his relaxed attire. His boots sat beside him, and his ankles were dipped in the lake. They were completely still now, since he was looking back at Annabeth.

"Hello." He sounded eager, stretching it into two syllables. "You look ravishing tonight, Lady Athena."

She rolled her eyes. "I'm glad you think so," she said sarcastically.

"Oh my, Lady Athena just stopped being ladylike. How is this possible?" He threw his hands up in the air. They were bare of gloves, and for some reason that prodded at her heart.

"You have an uncanny ability to bring out the worst in me, Perseus."

He leaned in, his eyes glowing like Greek fire. "You may call me Percy."

"Well, _Percy_ , what are you doing out here by the lake?" His informal name felt foreign on her tongue, like she was barraging into someone else's land.

He cocked his head. "I could ask the same of you. Why spoil your expensive slippers on grass?"

She bit her cheek in annoyance. How did he predict her inner thoughts?

Percy's grin grew. He clearly read her expression. "Why? Someone with the likes of you ought to be dancing inside, with your fiancé."

Indignation bubbled inside of her. She couldn't decide what to protest at first. "Luke isn't my fiancé, and you don't know have the smallest idea of what the 'likes of me' is."

He raised his eyebrow. "But I do, dearest. Polite, well-mannered, quiet, always properly dressed, docile, pretty, and you think you're smart." The condescending tilt of his voice suggested the opposite.

She ground her teeth together. "Perseus," she said in her iciest voice. "You don't know what you're talking about, and seeing that you don't have an iota of sense, you never will."

"Oh, but you have sense?" His voice was taunting, like he was merely acknowledging some willful three-year-old's absurd idea.

She wanted to scream and claw at his sculpted face. Annabeth stomped closer, and used the advantage of standing to look down at him, but, unfortunately, he was so tall they were almost face-to-face. "I'm sorry, but I think you're forgetting something. You're Perseus Jackson, remember?" Her voice went sugary, so sweet her teeth ached. "Heir to one of the largest estates, invited to the best parties, a celebrity. And also? Filled with _nothing_ but money and hot air." She rapped her knuckles on his head. She paused, almost long enough for guilt to crawl in. "You will never understand me."

Emotions flooded his face. Suddenly they stopped coming, and he stared at her. "No, I know better than that. You're not obedient at all. You're stubborn, irritable, and a force to be watched out for when you're mad." He smiled lazily, switching back to his usual demeanor. "Intriguingly complicated on so many levels."

What was he trying to insinuate now? She harrumphed, gathered her skirts, and sat down on the riverbank. Silence enveloped them. Annabeth was definitely angry at him, but flashbacks of the poetry he wrote in his letter and the rush of emotions from him kept coming back to her. That made her angrier, not knowing what to feel.

"I don't need you commenting on me all the time. Why do you make it a habit?" She asked quietly, without as much fire as she wanted.

Percy glanced at her. "I want you to know how I think of you," he answered with a half-smile. "You're worth it."

She sputtered. "Did you just say I was worth your opinion?" She laughed. "Well, if I was only worth that much, perhaps I'd actually appreciate your company."

"Annabeth, why do I feel like you get pleasure out of wounding me?" He said, his voice half-curious, half-offended.

"You might not imagine that's possible, but it's very amusing." She grinned at him.

He thrust his foot forward in the water. "Now I must add 'twisted sense of amusement' to my list about you." The gleam in his eyes finally revealed that he was joking, at least, partially.

"You know," she said, watching the cattails shift. "You never told me why you are out here."

"Just in case I could meet you."

She gave him a side glance. "You said you expected me to be dancing inside. Which I completely expected from you."

He let out a laugh. It was so musical it made Annabeth jealous. "It seems like we're pretty similar, then."

"Answer the question, Percy."

"I'm Poseidon's son. I spend my summers out on the sea, and my free time swimming in pools or our home's lake. When I discovered this river, it immediately became my hiding spot during these banquets."

"Well, why would you need a hiding spot?"

"Don't be too curious about me, Annabeth, it'll turn out unladylike." He smiled aggravatingly down at her. "The dances and the fun just passes by too quickly and all turns into the same thing. And maybe I just like being by this little river." He dipped his long fingers inside the water.

She didn't know how to reply. Finally, she decided to explain herself. "Well, I was tired out from the quadrille. And I wanted a breath of cold, fresh air."

"So, you decided to wander out from the terrace and walk the whole distance here?"

"Even as a lady, I don't get carried around, but you do."

He narrowed his eyes at her, but he didn't seem actually mad. "Actually, you looked like you were in some other place."

"What?" she asked, taken aback.

"I saw you, of course. Your hair shines in the dark."

She stared at her locks dubiously. "Right."

"And, my heart longs for yours, so when you walked outside, I immediately sensed that you were there."

She raised an eyebrow. "So, you were staring at me creepily in the dark. You seem like an aspiring romance novelist. You should talk with Ms. Austen."

"Oh, I have. She thinks my ideas are absolutely brilliant and that I would spark a new turn in literature."

"Impossible. And Jane Austen would never meet someone like you."

"Yes, she did," he insisted. "As soon as she'd heard my father's name, she would've called the nearest carriage and found me instead. Like anyone else would've."

"Oh, right, you have a huge title backing you up."

"Yes," he answered, but without his usual arrogance. Instead, his eyes dulled to unpolished, dug-up-from-the-dirt stones.

Unease stirred up inside her, and something close to concern. "What would you'd be without a huge and grand name?" She wanted it to come out as harsh, but it trailed off wonderingly.

He blinked slowly. Then, methodically, he reached for the hem of his breeches and rolled back the thick velvet. Long, tanned calves were exposed to the moonlight, and Annabeth's mouth suddenly felt dry. He easily got up and stepped down the riverbank. He waded through the water until it rose to his knees. "What would you be, without your name?" He shot back, his eyes unreadable because of the distance between them.

She swallowed, her fingers automatically finding the gray diamonds on her bracelets. They were intricate and hard and smooth. They didn't cast out pure white light when lit up, instead, dove gray light. She didn't know the answer. "It's not just a matter of names to me," she responded.

"Then, what? Family? Friends?"

Family. Her fingers tightened around the bracelet chains. She thought of Malcolm smiling comfortingly. Her father, looked lost and confused and bedraggled. Mother, with her gray-ice stare. Mother, lifting her chin up like she couldn't stand her face. Mother, coolly telling her that she didn't measure up to anything she was supposed to be. Mother, dropping her in the hands of Madame Lark to be molded into a lady. She suddenly felt like she couldn't breathe.

Something splashed loudly. "Beth? Annabeth?" Percy called worriedly, suddenly much closer.

She threw her shoulders back. "I'm fine."

"Don't start your dramatics around me, please. That was alarming."

The melting pot of harsh emotions started boiling and turning to one: anger. "Oh, I'm sorry I offended your delicate feelings." She pushed herself off the ground, her skirts getting under everything. "And everything else to you is just _dramatics_? Can't you open your eyes and see beyond your ego? No, wait, I shouldn't expect something like that from you. I must be as idiotic as you say I am then, to even think that you could be empathetic for a second. No, you're just a container of hot air, burning everything else. Can you just leave me alone, Percy? I don't want to hear your misleading compliments, see you smile arrogantly every single second, or listen to your nosy questions anymore. I don't know what you're trying to achieve by toying with me, and I don't want to, but if you continue trying to mess up my future, I will rip apart yours." She was breathing shallowly by then, and her glare was hotter than a furnace. At a loss for words, she scowled at him, picked up her skirts, and raced off into the dark.

The night wind shrieked in her ears, and a deep sense of loneliness suddenly settled into her heart.

 **Yes, I am done! Okay, I'm actually proud of this. Thought it would turn out weird. Now I know how sad it is to write fight/breakup scenes. *goes to a corner, cries* No, jk, I liked it 'cuz they both developed so much and actually got to know each other. And what's coming up is going to be epic. I know at least one person's waiting for it. *winks a bunch of times***

 **Anyway, I apologize for being late. I really want to update on time for you guys and write consistently. I also apologize for not doing the review replies, I'm tired and I spend way too much energy on those.**

 **Au revoir,**

 **Pride-and-loyalty**


	11. Chapter 11

**Yeah, this is quite the "fast posting speed." Apologies. This chapter has been kind of frustrating and full of blocks, but I like the next one so it should come up soon.**

 **Also… I realized there are a lot of inaccuracies here. I attempted to edit them all, but stuff turned out kind of confusing. Sorry, again. But you can trust everything I've said about dresses, since I've done quite a lot of research on them. If you want to know what's actually correct, leave a review and I'll either PM you a specific list or just send it in my A/Ns. I will, in the faraway future, write another story set in the Victorian Era, hopefully completely accurate. It'll be more focused on Victorian society and all its rules for romance and titles, and contain a lot of drama** **.**

 **Lastly, I don't own Ava Wise. The rest of the new Athena Cabin girls are OCs.**

 **Enjoy!**

You'd think that when all the daughters of Athena got together, they'd have something better to talk about than gossip.

Alas, this wasn't the true.

"…so, he led me into this tea house, set for just for the two of us…," Elisabeth trailed off, her eyes sly.

Amelia bounced up and down on her cushion, causing her skirts to fly up like unruly linen birds. "What happened?" she gasped eagerly. "Did you two _kiss_?!"

Jane rolled her eyes and patted the top of Amelia's curly blond head. "Settle down, little girl. Who told you about kissing?"

"Richie did," she stated proudly. Groans echoed off the patterned floral wallpaper and knowing looks were exchanged. Richard, her older brother by three years, had a vast array of unseemly knowledge which he constantly offered to young Amelia.

"So? Did you?" Amelia said, leaning precariously from her sedan in the direction of Elisabeth.

Sasha, who was sitting next to the nine-year-old, patiently pushed her back onto her seat and placed her fallen needlework onto her satiny lap. "You shouldn't be so obsessed about these things, and focus on your sewing! Look at how messy your stitches are!"

Ashamed from the rebuking, even if it wasn't directed towards them, all the other girls lowered their heads for a moment and continued with their embroidery. Annabeth, swallowing a giggle, studied the pinkish linen square in her hands. She'd done a small, swirling border, but the center needed something. She stuck the sharp silver of metal into her pincushion and grabbed a new one, along with a new spool of ash-colored thread.

Just as she was finished with threading her needle, the gossip picked up again. Elisabeth cleared her throat, glanced around at the other's hungry expressions, and continued her tale. "It was kind of dark in there, except for the moonlight and a few candles. We danced, drank tea, and laughed a lot." She lowered her voice some more. "And then he leaned in and… kissed my cheek."

"OOH!" The roomful of girls shrieked. Amelia was bouncing again and yelling, "You two are heading down to the altar!"

Sasha groaned and had to wrestle Amelia back into her seat. "Alright now," she muttered, but the little girl wasn't listening. "I want to be your flower girl!"

People started bombarding Elisabeth with questions. "Was it a long kiss?" With tomato-red cheeks, Elisabeth nodded. "Was it deep?" "Kind of." "What did you do in return?" She shook her head then, looking like she was entirely enjoying the conversation.

Annabeth flashed her a small, congratulating smile and turned back to her sewing, trying to not feel so amused. She started with a faint oval, and then added two smaller circles inside. Her ears continued to lazily pick up the rest of the chatting.

"How long have you two been courting?" Jane asked

"Almost right after my debutante ball, so, around a month and a half."

That number pricked at her mind. She racked through her memory while adding larger, more defined stitches around the two circles, but came up with nothing specific. She neatly knotted the ends of the thread together and snipped it with her specially monogramed sewing scissors.

"I still can't believe he kissed you," someone murmured.

"I think we might be in love," Elisabeth gushed, and half a dozen girls sighed dreamily.

Annabeth rolled her eyes. These afternoons sometimes made them all into Aphrodite girls.

"When do you think you two will kiss on the lips?" Amelia burst out, and there was a lot of giggling and Elisabeth's painted face disappeared behind a fan. She was barely half-listening to the answer when a lowered voice much closer to her said, "Hey?"

She looked up into a rounded, freckled face. Annabeth's brain identified her easily. Ava, only fourteen years old; very clever; Athena takes a liking to her; favorite food is chicken potpie… the miscellaneous strands of information continued streaming through her mind as she greeted her younger sister. "Oh, hello, Ava. Would you like to sit?" Annabeth gestured to the empty seat which Ava was hesitantly lingering by. The younger girl picked up her blush-pink skirts and plopped down. Her huge gray eyes immediately dropped to the embroidery in Annabeth's lap. "Not to intrude or anything, but—wow!"

She smiled warmly at her, feeling a blush prod at her neck. "Thanks. I've been sewing on handkerchiefs for a while."

"Oh, now that sounds horribly boring."

Annabeth laughed. "Yeah, a little bit." She expertly switched to a fainter gray thread and continued implementing neat, identical stitches inside the circles. "But it's one of the rites of being a lady."

Ava dramatically laid a hand on her forehead. "Why does a lady need to do so much?" she wailed. "We barely have enough time to get married, and that's supposed to be our life goal!"

"Yeah, but I'm hardly ready." She laughed a little, to herself.

Ava cocked her head. "Don't you have plenty of suitors pursing you?"

Her fingers slowed in surprise. Ava had a familiarly distant look in her eyes. She was scrolling through her own storage of information about everyone, Annabeth realized the next second. "Well, not really," she answered hesitantly. "I'm getting courted by a couple of people, but only one is serious."

Ava nodded sagely. "Luke," she stated.

Annabeth gave a flat laugh. "Right." Perhaps it was all the estrogen milling about in the air, or all the recent events pressing down on her, but she leaned down and whispered, "Is it really that obvious, me and him?"

Ava grinned widely. "Well, everyone knows that you two are bound to be engaged soon. I've never seen your relationship in person, but I've heard rumors." She pointed at their giggling sisters.

She pressed her palm to her forehead in distress, but mostly, annoyance. "I shouldn't even be surprised. I mean, that scandal at my debut, and then attending the Olympus dinner banquet. I'm bound to be gossiped about."

Ava gently touched her arm. "That's just because you live a life the rest of us envy. You're clearly Athena's favorite, and the male half of the ton just runs after you, drooling." Her tone dropped from wistful to sarcastic when she said the latter.

Her needle slipped through her fingers. She couldn't stop her mind from conjuring up images of gentlemen running (preposterous, indeed!) and flailing their velvet- or linen-covered arms. A snort of amusement escaped her.

Ava puffed up her chest, looking very pleased. "Besides, think about all the fame you have in this house! Shouldn't you enjoy it?"

Her shoulders shook in silent laughter. Finally, she sucked in a breath and continued her sewing. "Nonsense. A daughter of Athena should not covet such things." She wanted it to come out as sensible and commanding, but her tone turned snobby at the end, and they were laughing again.

"Alright, leave me be, Ava," she said, not serious at all. "I'm try to embroider a handkerchief here."

To her surprise, Ava pursed her lips shut. "I do want to see what you'll make," she responded, then quieted completely. There was only a faint scratch as she tugged silk threads through the light, flimsy and the occasional _snip_ of scissors. Ava remained still, leaning over her shoulder and her eyes enraptured with the whole ordeal that she earlier claimed to be boring. Finally, she traded her long ivory thread-mostly unused, since it was just for miniscule details-for a short length of black string. She expertly wound the tiny ends into a knot and then dropped the needle. Ava leaned back a little in surprise.

Annabeth grinned at her, then picked up her sewing basket beside her. She rummaged around the many scraps and pieces in it before her fingers clumsily grabbed something round from the bottom. She lifted it out. It was a tiny bead, just a little larger than a hole in a button, and it was a gleaming ebony. When she held it up to the flickering candle on the low table in front of her, iridescent indigo and navy colors were illuminated, too, underneath the obsidian. Ava was clearly analyzing it, a wrinkle appearing in her pale forehead as she studied it.

Annabeth readied the thread around the cloth, then carefully looped it through the bead. She secured the end, repeated it with another bead, just to the left of it in another circle, and then double-knotted the thread with a flourish. "Wow," Ava murmured. "This looks incredible," she said louder.

Others started crowding around her and praising her needlework. It was one of the best she'd done, she had to admit. The original oval made up a head, and the circles evenly surrounded the two beads, which in turn looked almost like eyes. It was a very close copy of a snowy owl's face. She'd even filled in the circles with pale gray lines, and the rest a darker gray and black-spotted. The occasional white thread added shading.

"That's too pretty for cleaning up faces," Elise remarked. "Great job."

"Yeah, it's incredible, Annabeth," Jane said. "Your embroidery is spectacular."

Similar compliments spilled forth. She ducked her head, smiling shyly. "I was just randomly making it."

Ava raised an eyebrow. "It doesn't look random at all."

"Thanks," she said to all of them. "Honestly, I probably shouldn't even be sewing something this fancy onto a handkerchief."

They laughed, and when she neatly folded the square of linen and tucked it into her purse, they all returned to their seats. Only Ava remained. "Can you make something like that for me?" she pleaded.

She looked her over. "I guess. I usually sew for practice, though, not for actual display or use."

"It's good enough for display," Ava said briskly. "My handkerchiefs are always too plain, and I don't have any personal seamstresses working on my linen."

Annabeth studied her expression. She didn't appear to actually want a personal worker, just something to show at banquets. "Alright, I'll try to make you a nice one. Any particular wants?"

Ava drummed her neat nails on her skirt. "Can I have one that looks similar to yours?" She asked, her eyes huge and pleading.

"Right, we must all remember to showcase our profound family," she joked. "Maybe I'll make you an actual snowy owl that's white."

"Yes! That sounds great!"

Annabeth grinned at her and settled stiffly against the plush back of her seat. Her fingers twitched a little in her lap. "I don't know what to do now, since most of my sewing is finished and I'm not looking forward to more."

Ava gave her a sly glance that Annabeth could easily read. Before she could hold up a hand to stop her, Ava burst out, "Don't you have any calls this afternoon? You had a number of guests, or should I say, suitors, coming over this month."

A stream of mixed feelings about her callers entered her mind. Some of the approved gentlemen were charming, others completely irritating and egotistic. And all of them? Extremely wealthy and mannered. She grew with both, but sometimes, after particularly brutal lessons, all the introductions and "pardon me's" and "my lady's" were… bothersome. Or more like, unwanted.

Ava was trying to detect the cause of her silence beside her. "Let me guess, you don't particularly like some of them?"

"You're right," she answered with a half-grin, since it was something pretty commonly said in the Athena house. "I barely know most of them, even if we've been calling back and forth for weeks. Besides, Athena chooses all the suitors, which means some of them are so incredibly intelligent they simply can't indulge themselves in a conversation with a _woman_." Her tone darkened, and along with it, Ava's face.

"That's absurd," she just about yelled. "There is no way any of them are smarter than you! I bet only a handful of people actually are."

She laughed. "Not even close." Her mind automatically ran over all the mistakes she'd made, or stupid ideas, which seemed to add up even more during the Season. "But those people are dimwits if they just go around memorizing encyclopedias, trying to come up with clever sayings, and purchasing thick glasses."

Ava snorted. "Sounds exactly like the old man I had to dance with yesterday night."

"Well, you've got a many chaperoned parties coming up in the future, meaning your chaperone will probably decide some people to dance with."

"Actually, by the time I have my Season, you'll be old enough to be a chaperone."

Annabeth glared at her. "You know your sums are be better than that. I'm not that much older than you." Chaperones were generally supposed to be the ladies' mothers, or other full-grown adults.

Ava giggled. "But you are kind of old, Annabeth."

She swatted her arm. "Watch it, girlie. If I somehow become your chaperone, I'll force you to dance with the most ancient and arrogant men in the room."

Ava gasped. "You traitor!"

"You'd deserve it," Annabeth told her nonchalantly, shrugging her shoulders.

Ava gasped again. "Since you're the one suggesting all this, you deserve it!"

"Are you two okay?" Elise asked warily across from them. Her gunmetal eyes flickered between them, and then a spark of understanding flickered across her face. "Oh, this is just… friendly teasing." With a befuddled expression, she turned around.

Annabeth laughed, poking Ava in the shoulder. "Yeah, your theatrics are definitely uncalled for at this time in the afternoon."

"Yeah, well, since someone's schedule is completely empty, I might as well show off my acting skills. Are you sure you don't have any calls to accept or return?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Why are you so interested in my Season? It's not as romantic or breathtaking as some novels may claim."

Ava grinned mischievously. "I just think you and Luke are a perfect pair. You love each other, probably have lots in common, and will raise a rich and handsome family."

Annabeth's eyes widened in surprise. "You don't know any of that?"

"Yes, but just like you, I was taught how to keep the odds on my side." Ava's grin looked like it belonged at a card table, in front of other hardened gamblers.

"None of them are presently. I don't love him-at least, I'm not sure, and what do we have in common?" Her tone grew curious.

Elisabeth, who was clearly eavesdropping, leaned in. Her eyes shone like polished metal. "Well, I have had the pleasure to meet Luke a few times. He's an amazing dancer," she complimented, and Annabeth smiled back, remembering his confidence and steadiness. Elisabeth paused, watching her carefully, but Annabeth simply could not figure out why. Finally, Elisabeth raised her blond eyebrow slightly and continued. "I have quite a few things to say about what you have in common. You're both very sharp, clever, polite, you come from wealthy families, and, well, you've shared your childhood together!" She threw up her hands. "Do you need to hear anything else?"

Annabeth tried to lean on this knowledge, but it didn't reassure her completely. When they played as kids, Luke always took the role of the guardian, running ahead of her, picking her up when she was tired, and fetching the toys she couldn't reach. She just played aimlessly. This didn't point to many similarities.

She desperately wanted to ask Elisabeth for more, but her pride didn't allow her. Shouldn't she know everything about Luke and know the answer for herself? The originally innocent question opened up a pit of despair. Worry nagged at her, and her dream of a man smiling at her as she woke up slowly faded. Then, a shiver raced down her spine. What was happening?

She suddenly noticed Ava and Elisabeth staring at her, confused and nervous. She dispatched her mixed-up thoughts to the back of her head and faced them. "No, that's good. Either way, I think we get along fine, so there's no question about whether or not are traits are similar."

Elisabeth nodded. "Yeah," she said in her usual slow and breathy voice. "Hey, um, when's the engagement happening? I have yet to see a ring from a son of Hermes!" She laughed at her startled expression and barged on. "Ooh, and can I be one of your ladies-in-waiting for the wedding? I would look great beside you!"

"Please, she already has ladies-in-waiting. She's Annabeth," someone else said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah, but she doesn't have to invite them!"

Annabeth was pondering how to stop this conversation about her when someone knocked crisply on the door. It didn't sound like the knock of anyone she knew, so it was probably a servant. Sasha, sitting closest to the door, called out, "You may enter!"

Annabeth was right. In the doorway was a freshly-dressed servant. He politely looked around the room, before spotting Annabeth in the back. He crisply cut across the room and stopped in front of her. He bowed and said, "Lady Chase, a gentleman has arrived in the foyer and offered an invitation to his house."

"Ooh," some of her sisters murmured in the back.

"He says he is of the family Herdwick." Immediately the whispers turned to, "Huh?" or "What?" That wasn't an Olympian name.

Annabeth blushed, a little embarrassed that all her sisters were here to witness her receiving a call from a mortal. "Has he contacted me before?"

The servant folded his hands and started at the ceiling, clearly searching his memory. The girls in the room shifted in their seats or twiddled their fingers. Whenever someone out of their direct family had less-than-fantastical minds, it was a rather awkward moment for them. A few seconds later the servant looked back at her cleared his throat. "Apologies for the wait, Lady Chase. Yes, he has sent a few bouquets. Pardon me, but I do not remember how many."

"It's fine," she said. "I allow this call. Take me to him, please."

Her sisters offered her all different smiles, ranging from suggestive to congratulative, and she quickly hurried out of the room. Curiosity swirled in her mind as she strode down the hallways, too distracted by this mortal she hardly knew to think about gliding. By the time she reached the foyer, she was full of speculation.

This gentleman did not appear to be worth the hype. He was wearing a broad maroon overcoat with blond tassels, just like her average rich suitors, and starched white gloves. His face was completely covered by his broad-rimmed black hat.

He bowed lowly. "Hello, Lady Athena," he said in a voice so deep it sent a slight tremor through her.

"Hello—," she faltered embarrassingly. She knew nothing about his title. The servant, after a beat of awkwardness, picked up on this issue and went to a tall table against the wall. On the top was a carved sliver tray with an impressive pile of large, decorated paper cards. It was the "card tray," which contained all of the calling cards this house received. The servant picked a card from lower in the pile (the most impressive cards, like from Zeus, were on top) and handed it to Annabeth.

It was sparsely decorated, like most men's, just a plain beige card with neat print in the center. She read it with lightning-fast speed handed it back to the servant before turning to her suitor. She curtsied deeply, even though his rank was lower, and said, "I apologize for my mistake. Hello, Earl Herdwick. Thank you for your invitation."

"It is my pleasure," he said in the same low tone. "I believe you found it rather sudden that I invited you to my home, instead of making a call here, but I've heard reports of how busy this house can be."

She smiled lightly. He seemed to be subtly insinuating something, but she could only read so much from his tone. His face was completely in shadow because of his hat's lowered rim. "Yes, it can get crowded. You are rather considerate, I see."

"You're too kind, Lady Athena. I simply listened to stories about your family."

"Is it too much to wish that they were mostly good?" She offered him a small, playful grin.

He laughed, and again it shook her. "Oh, they were. No scandals whatsoever."

With the curse running amok and shredding up marriages, creating prime breeding grounds for rumors, this was surprising. "I'm glad to hear that," she answered, and he chuckled again.

He deftly pulled a sliver timepiece out from his pocket and examined the glass face. "Apologies, my lady, but my time with you is limited. May I have permission to take you from your rather illustrious home?"

She smiled. "Yes, I would like to visit yours. I must find a fitting chaperone first, however."

He nodded. There was a hint of surprise in his voice as he responded, "Oh, yes, you do. I shall wait here while you find one."

"Thank you." She curtsied again and went to the servant, whispering a name in his ear. He disappeared for a bit and came back with one of Annabeth's older sisters at his heel.

"Annabeth!" Emma exclaimed brightly, hugging her. "How are you? The last time we were together you were a mere child, and here you are, getting courted!"

She blushed. "It is nice to see you again, too, Emma. I need a favor from you—"

"Yes, yes to chaperone you and this gentleman," she brightly interrupted. "Ah, young love. Now I'm stuck with old Alfred and I can't be running around with fresh new boys like you." She squeezed Earl Herdwick's arm.

"Emma!" Annabeth gasped. Her older, married sister-who dearly loved "old Alfred"-was clearly no more mature than the others younger than Annabeth.

Emma laughed. "I'm joking, Annabeth. I look forward to watching over you two." She grinned at them. "I'll stay out of the way, I promise."

Annabeth frowned at her, but Earl Herdwick was laughing quietly behind them. Emma grinned proudly at him.

Earl Herdwick smothered his smile and offered his arm. "Can we go now, misses?"

"Yes, thank you." She took his arm and followed him outside, Emma's skirts rustling behind.

They boarded the carriage and rattled down the streets of Central London. Outside the window, dark cement streets and buildings swirling past. They continued riding, the carriage rattling underneath them, until the concrete gave way to large, barren fields. The empty, dark yellow lands stretched until the horizon.

Finally, they reached a line of large, vintage buildings, expensively made. The carriage slowed in the driveway of the biggest, beige-and-red mansion at the end. Earl Herdwick kindly helped both of them out of the carriage, and then held Annabeth's arm as they went up the stone steps and to the door.

He smartly knocked, and a well-dressed butler with heavy lace on his collar and sleeves. They entered a huge stone hall with ancient furnishings. Herdwick headed straight for the winding wood staircase in the middle. They stepped into a long, stone hall with old brass lanterns upholstered onto the rough-hewn walls.

"The sitting room is right down there," Earl Herdwick said, his voice somehow lighter. As they only steps away from it, another door opened and a short, plain-faced man stepped out. His plain brown eyes flickered across them. "Oh, hello, _William_ ," he said in an indescribable tone, tipping his tap at them. Then he disappeared down the hallway.

Earl Herdwick straightened his shoulders uncomfortably, it seemed. He didn't say anything and gently guided Annabeth to the door of the sitting room.

It was a small, comfy space, with plush carpeting and a small fire roaring in the hearth. The earl and Annabeth sat down at the narrow canvas sofa, and Emma occupied the stuffed armchair off to the side. Herdwick rang a large bronze bell on the tap and, seconds later, another older man came in, his breaths coming shallow.

"Hello," he said to them, his words rushed. "The tea is behind us." He turned to Emma. "Who's this?"

"The chaperone from the Athena house."

"Oh!" He quickly fell into a bow. "It's an honor to meet you! I thought I was supposed to be the chaperone, though, Lady-lady Athena."

Emma rose, smiling a little at the respect on his face. "Well, perhaps we can watch them together. Can you call a servant to bring another chair?"

The man and the earl shared a sudden, quick look. "Of course! I'm Bruce Herdwick, his cousin." He bowed again, and formally kissed her hand. Emma looked equal parts amused and pleased.

Earl Herdwick rang the bell again, and soon a plain tea set was placed in front of them and Bruce's chair was scooted right next to Emma's. The earl gracefully poured tea, only stopping to inquire of her cream and sugar wants, while the two chaperones chatted on.

The earl took one, relishing sip of his tea, and then he set it down on his saucer with a _clink_. The movement was so abrupt Annabeth stopped her own drinking and stared at him over the ceramic rim of her cup.

Earl Herdwick reached up, and with one smooth movement, took off his hat. The hearth's flames lit up a razor-sharp jaw, a nest of raven hair, and two piercing green eyes the color of the sea.

Annabeth's gasp caught in her throat.

 **Ha! Another cliffhanger! This is actually really fun. Okay, I apologize, but Finding Nemo is up on the TV, paused, and I really want to finish it. Sorry!**

 **Another last random fact: I had KFC's blue ice cream. Awesome. You all need to have some.**

 **From Chapter 9:**

 **Demigods-Rule: Thank you! Yeah, I tried to make it cute cuz it's Percabeth!**

 **Guest: I did research, yeah, it was invented seven years before the Victorian Era. So almost a decade before Annabeth's time. But thanks for being really considerate, sometimes criticism can feel hurtful, but it comes with good intentions. And you're just really nice.**

 **Abidoodle.e: You know, you're my favorite reader. Thank you so much. I'm really happy you said that that letter was Percy-like cause I was worried it was too OOC. And thank you for telling me I don't need to worry about updating regularly. Honestly, I just feel like I should keep my promise when I say I'll update once a week or more. Also, I know how agonizing it can be to wait for a story to update, and I want to prevent as much as that as possible.**

 **From Chapter 10:**

 **JC RH: Thank you! You're really nice!**

 **Ashpren: Thanks! Yeah, I do try to add a lot of metaphors and similes in my writing, but I sometimes forgot. That was one of my favorites, too.**

 **Demigods-Rule: Oh dear, you might hate me now. Sorry, I'll come up with a new one soon. But thank you, anyway, I'm so happy that you enjoy this. Why did you add a "trouble" at the end, though?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Well, this is fast. I'm posting this early because, one, I promised to, and two, I'm leaving for a seven-day trip tonight. I might post during then, with my phone or iPad's tiny keyboards, but I won't promise anything cause it's** _ **travelling**_ **and I won't have too much free time.**

 **So, yeah, in order to make up for that hopefully this'll be a long chapter. I know you guys have been long-awaiting some actual Percabeth to come along, and good news: it is.**

 **Enjoy!**

Annabeth sat motionless, her heart frantically hammering in her rib cage, staring at him in bewilderment. What was Lord Jackson doing here? She thought her suitor was a mortal, and an earl, nonetheless! He acted like a normal civilian, the perfect gentleman, with that deep voice and polite gestures. And this house, all the way in the countryside, was something a normal non-Olympian earl would live in. How did he even come into possession of it?

But as silent, shocked seconds passed, a new surge of anger flooded through her. Her memory haphazardly replayed scenes from when they last meet, without order. Him slowly enunciating what he thought of her. Her skirts, thrown into the air as she stomped closer to him. Cattails rustling and blocking his figure as he stood in the water. The smirk on his face as he appraised her relationship with Luke. His ankles, milky under the moonlight, submerged in the inkiness of the river. She ripped herself from her memories as she approached the image she wanted to avoid most: racing away from Perseus, her skirts flying about her legs, as he bleakly stared after her.

Her fists clenched with all abandon to manners. How dare he ambush her like this, bring her all across the city to continue being arrogant to her. Didn't she make it clear that she had enough of his games? She was boiling with anger as she slowly raised her chin, her jaw twitching from how hard it was clenched, and gathered the full force of her fury behind her stare.

But when she met those sea-green eyes, something inside her crumpled in half. Her anger deflated out of her, and her rigid back relaxed into its usual upright form. Perseus' eyes weren't glittering with confidence, or hardened into smug little stones, but they were cloudy and soft with confusion and worry. His thick brows were drawn together, and his full lips were drooping in a pout as he studied her back.

At the unfamiliar stir inside of her, she tightened her shoulders, trying to call back her anger as a defense, but it wouldn't come. She was left to look wanly upon him.

"Perseus," she said, her voice low. "Why did you invite me here?"

His face suddenly conformed: at first, it relaxed into a confident, assured grin, and then his eyebrows knit together hesitantly, and eventually he settled into an open, slightly scared look. A row of straight ivory-colored teeth appeared, clamping onto his lower lip.

Finally, Perseus dared to look into her eyes. She was so shocked by this all that her shocked expression didn't shift at all.

"I want to talk about last week, Saturday." This was the time of the Olympus Mansion banquet. "I didn't mean any of that."

Annabeth's stunned brain sprang into life, trying to detect what he meant. He didn't say it in an apologetic tone, or one with regret; it looked like he was just stating a fact.

"That stuff about who I think you are. You shouldn't have listened, because I was simply spewing nonsense. I don't have any idea of who you are, Lady-lady Chase," he finished, giving her a searching look. When she didn't react to being called her father's name, he continued. "And I don't have the right to prod into all these important aspects of your life."

Annabeth was getting more bamboozled by the second. He still didn't sound sorry, at all. It was more like he was explaining some dilemma he'd been researching all his life.

With a sigh, he sank back into the sofa, pulling his gaze from hers. The extra weight on the cushions dragged Annabeth back too, but she said nothing. Her eye caught on his long legs sprawled in front of him, but she quickly turned her gaze to her rapidly cooling cup of tea.

"Annabeth," Perseus said sharply. She almost dropped her cup, her mind spinning at his abruptness and the use of her real name, before spinning around. Perseus was sitting upright now, his elbows on his knees and leaning in closer. His eyes glowed with intensity. "You might hate me now, but," he took a deep breath, "no. I'm sorry for treating you like a little, mindless lady. Anyone could tell that you are anything but that. And I'm sorry for my self-centeredness."

Things he'd once said to her came pouring forth. "Don't be too curious about me, Annabeth, it'll turn out unladylike." "However, I fear that your reputation would be truly ruined, and I sincerely don't want that." "Suggest how I should change my ways, please." "I am a champion at croquet, though. You should work on your game." "What could be more alive?" She felt a frustrated scream building in her throat. Why did she go to these efforts to remember every part of this complicated, two-faced man?

She finally looked up. It was quiet except for the crackling of the fire. She blinked and dared to look into his eyes. They were completely vulnerable and fearful. She felt a strange want to grab his hand and squeeze until that look went away. Instead, she swallowed and spoke in a soft, slightly raspy voice. "I forgive you."

Percy's face broke like a dam. **(A/N: Reference UNINTENDED!)** Happiness and relief and hope and excitement sparkled in his eyes, and his lips spread into a bold grin. He reached forward, but drew his hand back, creating a slight pause on his bright expression. But Annabeth, feeling her throat tighten and something swirling like rough waves inside her, held her own hand out. She lightly touched his arm, and though she could barely feel anything beyond the thick lace of her glove and his heavy overcoat, it sent a warm flush over her.

She pulled her hand back, resting it neatly on her lap. She didn't know why she did that, or what happened when she did, but it seemed like they were both content anyway.

"Thank you," Percy whispered, leaning in further. They were probably breaking all rules of conduct, but Annabeth could not remember a single one as his deep green eyes captured her.

"I-I don't," she managed to say. It meant a number of things: she didn't require his gratitude, she didn't hate him, she didn't understand him, and she didn't mind travelling into this new land.

Percy seemed to understand what she meant and nodded solemnly. "I'm glad you came," he said, his voice almost back to its normal volume.

She looked around his lightly furnished sitting room, with an ancient style of wallpaper and a rusting grate, and then back at his shining face. She nodded slightly.

Eventually, after a long pause, the air between them settled to something close to causal. "This is an interesting place you have."

Percy smiled a little. "I paid for it, but under Earl William Herdwick's name. So, he lives here now."

"Oh? Who is he?"

"Not a horribly significant mortal, at least to society. Made his fortune trading. But we play pool together, and he helped me with this. You saw him in the hallway."

"Ah." That explained the peculiar way that man said, "William." "What extents did it take to get such a historical house?"

"Not much." He grinned at her. "It's been passed down in this somewhat-important lineage, but the past owners didn't want such a remote and old estate."

"That explains the design."

He raised his eyebrows. "It looks just like my house. What's special about the design?"

"It's clearly not from this age. Can't you tell from the general layout of it? And the materials used? It's obviously designed by a special line of architects…" She trailed off at his bewildered and distracted look. "Never mind."

"I didn't know you were so knowledgeable about architecture." His voice veered closely to smug, but then he shut himself up.

Annabeth studied him curiously, and he looked self-ashamed, but also interested. "I just read a few volumes about it," she said dismissively.

"Thick volumes, I'm guessing." He grinned at her.

She looked down at her lap bashfully. "Not that thick."

He continued grinning. "Yeah, but clearly you still know everything about it there is to know."

"Not really." She was smiling herself. There was a lull in the conversation, and she looked over him, a question slowly surfacing. "Why do you always wear blue?"

He glanced down at his deep red coat. "I knew you'd notice, so I picked something else for today." He peeked up at her a bit hesitantly. "Blue is my favorite color, Lady Chase."

"It looks nice on you." She hoped she sounded polite and nothing else.

"Thanks." He paused for a second. "It's always been part of me, I guess."

She nodded. "Okay." She could tell from the flash in his emerald eyes that there was a special meaning behind it.

"Yours?" He cocked his head at her.

"Pardon?" She felt her forehead wrinkle in confusion.

"Your favorite color."

"Oh." She folded her hands in front of her waist. "Gray."

"Really?" He raised his eyebrows, his eyes a million shades of blue and green with the firelight, and immediately Annabeth knew that her answer was wrong.

"Yes, I suppose."

"Is it-is it because of your family?"

"Maybe." She stared at the dark hardwood floor. The whole time she was thinking of yelling, "I have a new favorite color!"

Percy somehow caught onto her mixed feelings and quieted. "Ignore me," he told her carefully.

"No, no, it's alright." She had to smile at his cautiousness.

He sat there in thoughtful silence and said lowly, "You received my last letter, right?"

She nodded, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"I said many regrettable things in there."

Annabeth pursed her lips. "I am willing to forget them."

"Thank you," he said quietly. "Please don't listen to it. Except for that one part…" he licked his lips, "in the middle…"

Annabeth decided to put him out of his misery. "That's fine, too."

He stared at her, his eyes empty of emotion, or just well-guarded, but she understood him anyway. He probably knew she would, and both of their cheeks were dusted with red.

Percy took a deep breath. He seemed to regret saying anything about the letter. His gaze flickered to the corner, where a small grandfather clock ticked softly. He narrowed his eyes, his long eyelashes almost skimming the top of his generous cheekbones. "Apologetically, I think our time is coming to an end. This call is not supposed to be so long," he said, turning back, his voice deepening.

She blinked, and then easily shifted back into the more well-mannered version of her. "Yes, it isn't. I shall have to leave now."

"Allow me, my lady." He stood up and offered his hand, which was completely unnecessary, but she took it anyway and had him help her stand.

"Thank you." She curtsied. "And thank you for inviting me."

Emma noticed them standing and got up herself. Perseus swiftly put on his hat anyway, placing it at an angle so the rim shaded his face. Plus, Annabeth was in front of him, so Emma wouldn't see too much of him. "This was a wonderful visit," Emma said. "You are quite generous, Lord Herdwick, to bring us all the way here."

"It is my pleasure, Miss Athena," Percy answered, his voice deep enough to shake her again. He bowed lowly.

"I will look forward to meeting you again, Lord Herdwick. Perhaps we can meet at my house again, when it is less busy." Her voice was light and formal, but she intended none of the latter.

"Yes, perhaps. That sounds alright."

"We shall be leaving away now, Lord Herdwick. Thank you, again, for inviting us."

"It was nothing. I will walk you to my carriage, ladies."

At the foot of their carriage, after Percy had easily helped her up, he temporarily lifted his chin. Annabeth caught the flash of deep emerald again, and her heart jumped at the sight. Then she noticed a small smile in the waning afternoon light.

She smiled back. She hurriedly mouthed, _Thank you_. She wanted him to know she felt this genuinely.

Then their time was over, and Percy lowered his chin so no one could see his face anymore. But Annabeth didn't stop smiling as their carriage pulled again, and she was sure he didn't either.

 **Okay, that's it. This chapter is ridiculously short, but I liked it. Kind of. It got awkward and cheesy, but whatever. It wasn't too sudden, right? I should probably slow things down a little.**

 **Anyway, this is huge development. My story will finally start running. Yes!**

 **Chica-flick: Thanks! Here it is!**

 **Afarbetterrest: Thank you so much! The basics are accurate, I can say that. Just some stuff about the setting is wrong. But thanks, again. Yeah, I adore the hints of Percabeth too. And, seriously, that review was so nice. Thank you!**

 **FantasyQueen2509: Hi! I like your name(s). Okay, sorry for the cliffhanger. I know they're frustrating. Even though it made me really happy to hear that you were thinking about my story longer than necessary, I'll hold them back from now own.** **Sorry, again, though, I hope you can get your concentration back. And thanks, anyway, that was kinda nice.**

 **Implayinggod: Yeah, okay, it was sort of obvious. Thanks. Here it is, and hopefully I'll be able to send more.**

 **Guest: Yay! Yeah, that's basically how I feel.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Well, it feels good to be sitting in front of a computer again. Yep, I didn't actually write anything on my travels, but I was kind of sleep-deprived then, so you guys weren't missing out on much. Oh, and I'm kind of out of inspiration right now, but bear with me.**

 **Enjoy!**

Annabeth was sleepily chewing on a buttered croissant in her dressing chamber, where she usually had her breakfast, when Julia the maid burst inside, her serving cap tilted from the commotion.

"Miss!" she burst out excitedly. Then she stopped and frowned at her. "Are you eating a pastry with _butter_? And you're spilling crumbs all over your new damask gown!"

Annabeth looked down. "Oh, oops."

Annica snorted, one of her few unladylike gestures. "It's alright, miss. I can wipe it off." She fetched a dainty cloth from the side table and smoothly swiped at Annabeth's lap. "Now, Julia, out with it."

Julia sucked in a deep breath. "I have extremely urgent news. An invitation has just come in from the mail. From the Hermes house."

Annica shrieked excitedly, clapping her hands together. "Annabeth! My goodness!" She rushed to her vanity, running her fingers over the millions of different jars and bottles. "We need to find her some perfume! Rosewater won't do it!" Other maids giddily rushed to her side.

Annabeth slowly turned back to Julia. "Um, what's the big deal about today?"

Julia's energetic grin slipped off, and she studied her carefully. "Are you really asking me that, miss?"

"Yes…?"

Julia offered her a sly smile. "I think you'll find out, soon enough." She edged closer to her. "Now, do you like the Tulip Hall or the Corrington Estate better? Or you are going to choose the Westfield Manor, for tradition?"

Annabeth blinked at her. "Why are you asking?" Her brain tugged at different ideas and theories, but it couldn't land on one. It was too early in the morning.

Someone came over to her settee with a huge box of gleaming jewels. "Which one will it be, miss?"

Annabeth stared at the emeralds longer than her thumb, and the diamonds with so many facets she could hardly look at their shine. "Um, I don't know."

Annica briskly appeared at their side, a pot of beeswax in one hand and a paint-coated brush in the other. "Gray diamonds, of course, Lilianna. She's an Athena daughter," she admonished.

"Oh," Lilianna said, ducking her head. She quickly returned a new box with stones in every shade of smoke. "Which one now, miss?"

Annabeth stared at the different rings and necklaces and bracelets, feeling overwhelmingly like they were all the same. "The small one, I suppose."

"No, no, miss. You need a larger one." Annica grabbed a tear-drop shaped stone and slid it onto her middle finger, carefully avoiding her ring finger. Julia, in turn, secured a dark strand of diamonds around her neck. A third maid came, an engraved vase vial in her hand. "It's lily-of-the-valley mixed with some jasmine, miss," she reported.

"I think that's alright," she said uncertainly.

The maid immediately lifted ringlets of her hair to spray her neck, and then her wrists, behind her ears and other miscellaneous spots around her gown. She could hardly breathe anything in except for the heavy scent.

Annica turned back to Julia. "Excuse me, did you say invitation? To where?"

Julia's eyes went huge. "Oh, goodness." She covered her mouth. "I forgot, miss. He called. His carriage is waiting outside."

Annabeth gripped the edge of her seat, suddenly feeling nervous. She barely had time to process what was happening until now. Luke, her oldest suitor, was here! She was normally comforted by his familiarity and their childhood together, but all these new expectations… she realized that all her maids were already referencing her wedding. She shook her head and stood up, shrugging off the others' hands.

"I don't need any more of this," she said sharply, feeling her emotions twirl around inside her. "Thank you." And then she strode out of the room, her skirts flying around her ankles in her rush.

In the front hall, she found her butler polishing his timepiece. "Williamson!"

He glanced up, and startled, before a warm smile immediately spread across his face. "Miss Chase, hello," he said, bowing lowly.

His friendly greeting melted her annoyance a little. "Hello, Williamson. I heard that I have received a call. From…" she couldn't force his name out of her throat. "He is here now, yes?"

"Yes, he is. I was waiting for the news to get to you. For you to find me yourself… is unconventional."

She nodded crisply, but made no comment. "I agree to the call. Allow him in, please. And leave his card off the side."

Williamson lifted a bushy gray eyebrow, not comprehending. Annabeth steeled herself, reminding herself that he did not think the same way as the rest of them.

"I know Athena will examine the tray soon, and I want to relieve her of her worries about me," she said flatly.

He nodded quickly. "I'll tell his footman to let him in." He went to a finely-dressed man professionally blending into the shadows, and passed along a few words with him before he disappeared outside. The front door opened again, and Luke came in, the footman almost invisible behind in.

Luke, grinning, acted like the Athena Estate was his home. He smiled at Williamson, turned just as a servant walked up to take his coat and hat, and he even basked in the light pooling from their many tall windows. Finally, he turned and greeted Annabeth like they were… she swallowed against his chest.

"Annabeth!" He exclaimed brightly, a fresh, happy look on his face. "How are you?"

She swallowed again. She felt confused, awkward, unprepared, and there was a soft ache in her chest. She raised her eyes to his smooth chin and said, "I'm fine. Thank you." Then she curtsied deeply.

She could feel his smile warmly against the top of her head. "That's brilliant. Was my call too interruptive?"

"No, no, it's great. I'll enjoy it."

A still pause followed. There was nothing, really, for either of them to say, and she could almost imagine all the heavy thoughts he was also having.

Finally, Luke cleared his throat. "Well, Annabeth, where do you think we should be, here?"

The stilted, but hardly formal speech, shook her slightly. "Would you like to have tea on the back porch? It's a bit chilly this time of year, but Williamson can provide blankets."

Luke nodded, a bit of the light returning to his clear blue eyes. "I remember you have this maid, Lily, who makes the best afghans."

"Oh, yes, she's one of our oldest maids. And she makes them completely by herself."

"Yes, they're very comfy."

Annabeth blinked. Why they were having such an awkward talk? She felt a desperate need to either out what he was thinking or to run as far away from it as possible. "Luke, can we just go to the porch?"

He slowly picked up on her hidden meaning. "Yes, yes, let's go."

They traveled down the winding hallways, carefully designed to show the most luxury and conserve heat. As they passed their fourth wide-open doorway, opening into a large pearl-inlaid parlor, Annabeth lead them into a sharp right. At the end of the short hallway, there was a set of ancient French doors. The sleepy-looking servant boy there startled awake and shoved them open. It led out into a charming little porch with even ash wood-floors and plushy brocaded chairs. The large glass windows were a little misty with the cold. The boy rushed in beside them and kneeled next to the hearth, expertly rustling up a fire.

Annabeth, ever the host, made sure they were both comfortably seated until ordering the boy to find a kitchen maid to make them some tea.

"This is nice," Luke said softly, looking around. The floral fresco above the hearth and wooden armrests worn smooth by hands were rather different from the rest of the sharp-edged steel and elaborately embroidered cloths of the rest of the house. Annabeth didn't dare to say it aloud, but Athena designed this room to encourage romance for her children (with their approved pairs, of course).

"Well, thank you. I actually spend a lot of my time here, unless others are here."

Luke cocked his head, his eyes flicking about her face as he considered her. "Your older sisters," he stated after a short pause. Of course, he'd hardly met any of them.

"Yes, and they're all married to pleasantly smart husbands." She frowned a little, and Luke, used to reading her, immediately understood.

"I'm sure none of them are as smart as you. Don't feel bad," he ordered.

"Thank you." Her voice was so quiet it was almost hoarse. His protectiveness just wrapped around her like her oldest shift, but it seemed out of place in their adulthood.

"I can see, though, how you spend your time here," he said, pointing his chin at a stack of books in the corner.

She smiled. She was sometimes still surprised by how well he knew her. "Yes, it can be quite warm here, and perfect to read at," she said, tilting her head at the crackling hearth. A maid quietly slipped in and starting making tea, the ceramic surfaces clinking as they touched.

"Yes, it does seem so," he said. "You always did like the smell of maple wood smoke. And you were always cold in these seasons. Do you need an extra blanket?"

Annabeth glanced at him curiously. Did he always bring up so many facts he found out about her? Yes, he seemed to in her memory. Then why was she just noticing it now?

"No, no, I'm fine. And you are never cold, really," she answered softly. "Perhaps I should keep all of Lily's blankets for myself." She, of course, did no such thing.

Luke grinned. "Aw, come on, Beth." He fingered the heavy fabric. "You know, one of my best friends also has an extremely loyal team of maids. Their family has been serving _his_ family for decades. They're brilliant at cleaning, and finish all the housework very efficiently. I try to stay for dinner all the time, because they have incredible food, and my coat is returned to me ironed and smelling like sage. There is no better level of hospitality."

Annabeth smiled at him to continued and settled in her chair, ready to listen to him for most of the afternoon.

"I do wish I could hire that group, you know. Every part of his house is clean and neat. Though I don't know how to fit them in the Hermes manor. We barely have any room for the servants, and I can't house them anywhere else," he explained. Since Annabeth had been there a few times before, she nodded understandingly.

"My home is just cramped, really. We can hardly live together. I'm just waiting for my siblings to get married and move to the countryside, like all the others before them. I don't think more than a few Hermes children chose to stay in London. I'm also waiting to get out myself. I mean, it's such an incredible plot of land, which my father wasted by just building a tiny house. It would sell for quite a lot right now. The grandest estate of the century, maybe, could be built on it." He sighed. "But there's no staying there for the future, not with my father and his many businesses and the rest of my family." He stared into the dark depths of his teacup before hurriedly glancing back up at her. "Oh, sorry, it's-it's alright if this doesn't make that much sense to you. It doesn't affect you, Annabeth."

She nodded slowly, confused by his interruption. "Sure. You can just continue."

"Well, nowadays, you can't really find big estates anymore. Well, recently I've been traveling around the outskirts of London, and there's this really large one. But it looks completely decrepit, like it could fall down in a few more years of bad weather. It is huge, though. If I entered it into the market of house-buyers, it would earn so much money. Even when it gets visited. In fact, it could get a new family to arrive." He looked at her. "That would mean others in society, greater, bigger parties, and more possible couples. But there's a limit, since they'll all be mortals."

Annabeth just methodically stirred her tea and nodded along. In conversations like these, she didn't feel like adding along, and that would be out of place.

Their afternoon went on like this. Luke introducing new societal topics and things he'd encountered on his traveling job, and Annabeth eagerly trying to absorb everything. She couldn't help but be pleased at all he knew about other couples and their relationships and estates in the market. _He'll do fine, out in this world_ , she thought randomly. Then she stopped herself. Where did a thought like that come from? It… almost sounded like she'd be surveying him all these years to see if he was prepared for… what, she couldn't guess. That didn't sound right at all, though.

She shook herself for a second time. All her confusion about Luke was gathering together into an apex, and now she was having all these uncharacteristic thoughts. Why couldn't she find any sort of normalcy between them? Luke was clearly adapted into their usual routine, she should too. They should remain like so until…

She trailed off again at the unknown, or at least, what she was too afraid to explore. The future for them bared a long line of expected, pre-destined stages to go through. But were they nearing those phases? Was she ready?

Hesitancy was the only answer, and that caused her to tighten her grip on her cup in panic. She didn't know what she was walking into, but it was nearing at an unstoppable speed. She needed to be prepared. She needed to have a comfortable relationship with him, one that was suited for adjustments. She needed to have actual…she didn't let herself finish the thought, as if in fear that it would come true.

Annabeth sagged against her pillow, exhausted by all this puzzlement and non-answers and impossible things to accomplish. She heavily set her teacup down on the carved table. Just then, Luke was describing one of the most peculiar clients he'd met on his travels. As he leaned in, gesticulating about their curly hair and strange limping, his elbow bumped into the table. Annabeth, intrigued by his story, didn't even notice that when a strange, tinny sound reached her ears. It was soft, so she could hardly find the source. She looked around, discreetly, as to not interrupt Luke, and spotted her teacup rolling down the table, splashing pale brown tea everywhere, and denting its delicate gold rim slightly. It was nearly the edge, and her instincts overcame her, and she lunged across the table.

Her heavy skirts slowed her rising, but she bended and stretched her arm until she could grasp the tiny cup. For one breath-stealing moment, her light satin gloves slipped on the glazed ceramic sides, but then she clenched her grip around it. She straightened and carefully set it back onto her saucer, but as she was backing into her chair, her heel slammed into the leg of the table. Pain racked up her leg, and she crumpled slightly in a profusion of tulle petticoats.

Luke was right by her side, his blond eyebrows drawn together. "Anna?" He asked cautiously, sliding his arms under her with expert familiarity. Her mind registered this warm, common scene straight from their childhood and dispelled all of her panic and worry. His surprised, reassuring smile, just like in her memories from when she was young, blurred into the sun, and his arms around her were sturdy tree branches. The pain was gone; she was home now.

"I'm fine," she answered softly when she realized he was waiting for an answer. Then, he easily lifted her up like she was nothing and carried her to her chair, setting her down as carefully as if she was a porcelain doll. "You're not hurt, right?" he asked, touching her hand.

She blinked, trying to do a mental scan of herself, and then Luke was unabashedly lifting her skirts and gently pulling out her foot and taking off her slipper like he'd done it a million times. Which, to think of it, he probably had. He crouched closer to the ground for a better angle of her heel, and the strangeness of this scene hardly registered.

"You're fine," he announced. "That wasn't a big thing. But step more carefully, Annabeth." He lifted his chin to give her a serious look.

"Yes, Luke," she answered, the words coming easily to her.

He settled back into his chair, still glancing over at her foot or face time to time, making sure she was completely okay. Then he plunged back into his well of modern discussion topics, only stopping to take a few sips of tea.

It was only when the sun dipped and they could hear a grandfather cloth outside, signaling that it was six, almost dinnertime, they stopped. Luke grinned at her, his face cast in shadow from the burning orange sky. "Well, this was a pleasant afternoon. Thank you for accepting my call."

"You know I would do nothing else." She grinned back.

"I regret that I must leave, but I will visit again soon."

"No, no, I shall return the call."

"I will look forward to it. Now, I hope my horses have enjoyed your stable," he said, getting up.

She hoisted herself up, feeling suddenly drained. Perhaps it was the long hours, or the conversation, though she couldn't decide why. "I think they should've, since—" she said, continuing the conversation, but Luke stopped her by rushing to her side.

"Careful, Beth!" He admonished. He held out his arm, almost forcefully, and she confusedly placed hers inside his. Her arm was much smaller than his, and it fit as well as an organized household. She reveled in the moment of feeling _complete_ , if just for a second, before looking up at him.

"What is there to be careful about, pray tell?"

He clasped her hand in his. "Well, we don't want you to hurt your feet again, do we?"

"Thank you. I think I'll be fine, though."

"I hope so too." Then he walked her outside. "If you hurt yourself, you'll be banished inside forever, and I don't think you'd like that."

 _I'm banished inside anyway,_ she thought dryly, thinking of how carriages and huge parasols would follow her the second she set foot outside. "That would be dreadful," she said, faking a shudder.

"Yes, but at least I will still be able to visit you," he said with a small smile.

She tried to return it, but it probably looked forced in her tiredness.

A corner approached, and he slowed himself down, and carefully steered her around it. "You were awfully close to the edge. Stay away from those, please."

"Yes, of course." _Wow, he is really concerned_ , she thought.

"But you're still completely fine, right? Is anything returning?"

"No. See, I'm almost gliding." She pointed to her light but purposeful stride.

He cocked his head. "Pardon, what?"

Annabeth shook her head with a smile. "It's a thing my teacher has taught me in my lessons. It's the perfect way for a lady to walk." She couldn't force the sardonic tinge from her voice.

"Why, Annabeth, these lessons are beneficial. You must use them as you involve yourself into society." He clasped her hand carefully, but with force.

She stared down at their entwined arms and held hands, and then up at his stoic face. He delivered the sentiment almost emotionlessly. "Oh," she said quietly. "Thank you."

They went down the other hallways almost completely silent, except for Luke studying the expensive paintings or Annabeth's loud wonderings in her mind. They finally arrived at the front hall, where Williamson was clearly waiting for them eagerly.

"Hello, Miss Chase! And Lord Hermes!" His excited words were almost cramped together.

"Hello," she answered, offering him only a light, formal smile.

"It's a pleasure to see you again," Luke said, much more nicely.

The butler retreated slightly, clearly trying to figure out what happened between them. A maid came up, bearing Luke's coat and hat (Annabeth made a mental note for them to tuck a sprig of sage in the inner pocket next time, so he would appreciate their service too), and his footman ushered him outside.

Annabeth was left standing in the empty hall, staring at the closed doors. The servants clearly expected up to go upstairs and prepare for a party or something, but when she remained in place their gazes grew curious and less discreet.

Finally, she was left completely alone. Her muted emotions still swirled like a tsunami inside of her. With one last sigh, she turned and headed up the grand staircase.

-line break-

This time, her maids were not chattering among each other as they did her hair. They were fluttering around her in panic, trying to work quickly but neatly, and trying to not make Annabeth any more nervous.

Julia was raking tortoiseshell combs through her locks with whip-fast speed, sending regular spikes of pain into her scalp each time a tangle was undone. Annica was painting her face heavily with the lightest-colored makeup there was, handing off and grabbing new cosmetics from an assembly line of waiting maids behind her. Lilianna, her new treasurer (or something like that) was randomly selecting the shiniest pieces from her double-locked jewelry case, containing the most expensive stones, and wrapping them around her. Since she was still standing-Julia got the seat since doing her hair was the most tiresome job of all-other maids were still dressing her. They were forcing onto her the newest, tiniest corset, and Annabeth's vision immediately went blurry when it was completely buttoned-up. Her petticoat had exquisite important cotton hems and detailed lace patterns on each thin skirt, and they bore down heavily on her waist. And the gown itself was so choked up with lace and silk that she had to lean against her vanity.

At last, she was ready. A page escorted her to the door of her mother's chambers. She tried to knock confidently, but Athena's sharp, "Come in," wilted all of her bravery. Inside, Athena was perched on an ottoman, her hawk-sharp gaze trained on Annabeth, her whole posture waiting for her.

Swallowing, she took the seat across from her.

"I do not have much to say, Annabeth. I will only repeat what I have already told you." She leaned in, her eyes flashing in the candlelight. They could probably see every pigment of paint on Annabeth's face.

"I do not have many elder daughters left. And you should know that I value my daughters more in this house. They are the most important to hold up this line. They are the ones who are supposed to stake their name in society, provide for this house with wealth, and garner connections with other families to make us more and more powerful." Her eyes never seemed more like stones. "They are representations of _me_."

"Annabeth, you know a lot is riding on you. Your reputation, your position, your marriage. People think of you as the Athena house. I want all of the above to be perfect. And I know you can achieve that, because I designed you to be so."

She folded her hands. "You should not require me to specify. That would be wasting my time, and my breath. And your lessons with Tutor Parelli would be undeserved. And I have made everything clear enough for you."

She managed to nod. The rest of her was frozen with fear.

"Cover up the messes you've made, and then leave them. Make others forget them. Do you understand?" This question was rhetorical. Athena did not want to know if she really comprehended.

"Yes, Mother," she said in a low voice.

She nodded crisply. "Do not forgot any of this. I want to see a change." Then she picked her cup up and took a sip. All was silent.

Then, with brutal abruptness, she flicked four of her fingers from her right hand. The diamonds on her ring caught in the candlelight.

Annabeth realized-all too slowly, that it was a dismissing gesture. Surprised and blinking in confusion, she clambered up to standing. After dropping into an awkward, embarrassed curtsy, she stumbled towards the door. Her feet were unnaturally clumsy out of her panic.

"Annabeth!" Athena suddenly called sharply.

She spun around, having to grasp the back of the nearest chair in how fast she turned. "Yes, Mother?"

Her eyes ran down her face chillingly, sending shivers down her back. "Take off that pink diamond from your ring finger, please."

She gulped once before managing to lift her shaking hands and tugged at the large ring. Then she fisted her left hand, hiding the huge diamond in the folds of her gloves.

Athena's charcoal eyes dropped from hers. This was also a dismissal, she noticed. She fell into another curtsy before all-but rushing out of the room.

Then, a few steps from the engraved oak door, relief poured through her. She sank against the pastel-wallpapered hallway wall, sighing as adrenaline seeped out of her and was replaced with giddy freedom. A silly smile tugged at her lips and she lowered herself to sitting on the plush carpet.

 _It's over now_ , she thought quietly. _But you have so much more ahead of you_.

 **YAY I'M DONE BYEEEEE! I UPDATE WITH REVIEW REPLIES TOMORROW!**

 **Au revoir,**

 **Pride-and-loyalty**


	14. Chapter 14

**Now I owe you guys another apology… as if you guys aren't already exhausted about this and actually read my A/Ns. But I seriously am running out of inspiration. I got something for this, but I'm not sure about the next few chapters. I might have to run off to a retreat in the mountains or something. (*sigh* That sounds awesome, even if I probably won't come up with anything new)**

 **Enjoy!**

Annabeth wearily yawned in the salt-and-pepper gravel of the Zeus driveway, squinting her eyes against the slowly brightening sunlight. "Piper, did we have to come at this time?"

Her friend sternly placed her hands on her hips. "This is important. The event later this evening is very special, and I want to make sure we doing everything right and it goes smoothly."

She gave her a sideways look. "You don't even know the Atlas family. Why are you going so far for them?"

Piper harrumphed. "Can't I just care about a new member in the community?"

"No, because whenever someone new comes along people such as you start circling like vultures."

Piper glared at her, her multicolored eyes, currently brown, tinted slightly red by the rising sun. "I do not!"

"Well, I'm hoping you're willing to exploit those private reasons later, and that they're interesting, because we both know how Thalia is in the morning. She will _not_ want to be woken up for some old-lady gossip."

Piper flapped a gloved hand at her. "We will talk about something interesting. Now, hush, just for this minute." She gestured at her footman, brightly dressed in a lacey pink overcoat (Aphrodite's doing, no doubt), who knocked sharply on the door. Just one second later, a young "nymph" appeared at the door in a gauzy green dress and her hair up in loose braids.

"Hello!" She said cheerily. "You must be Lady Athena and…" she faltered slightly. "Lady Aphrodite!"

Piper blinked and cocked her head, forgetting her manners for the moment. "Pardon, what's wrong with my surname?"

"Nothing!" She said hurriedly. "It's-well-um, I was wondering if The Honorable Duchess herself wanted something."

Annabeth placed a firm hand on Piper's arm with a warning, _I'll tell you later_ look. She could easily guess what was happening through numerous circulating rumors. "She does not. We are here for a private visit with Lady Thalia, if that can be managed."

"Oh!" The rosy flush returned to her cheeks. "Yes, I will alert my mistress. Come inside, please, and wait in the foyer."

She led them into the gleaming, gold-and-marble foyer with a sparkling, newly installed statue of Zeus staring off into the distance with a knowing and confident expression. Other nymphs were hurrying around, their flower wreaths dancing as they lit the gold candle alcoves and drew open the midnight-colored velvet drapes.

The initial girl bowed and rushed off into a side doorway. Piper impatiently turned to Annabeth, still looking confused. "What was that?" She demanded.

"Well, not too long ago, people were speaking about your mother seeing Zeus quite regularly. A lot of suspicions manifested about illegal relations between them, and I believe that his servants are afraid of getting punished for letting her."

"Who would dare investigate the case? Zeus is basically the king of London!"

Annabeth gave her a look. "Your mother has other certified suitors, and a husband, if I'm not wrong."

Piper stepped onto her toes to whisper into Annabeth's ear. "No one knows anything about her relationship with Hephaestus. Just don't bother thinking about it."

"Oh, uh, okay. And another quite possible theory is that Aphrodite is well-known for meddling in the romances of youths. Her and one of her sons, Eros. She has definitely caused trouble for a number of nymphs."

"I didn't think of that at all. Annabeth, do you get all your knowledge from listening to gossipers?"

She crossed her arms. "I read fine literature too, you know!"

"Sure," Piper answered dubiously, a gleam in her eye.

Before they could escalate into a full-on debate, a new servant girl appeared before them. "Good morning, Lady Athena and Lady Aphrodite. Are you ready to see Lady Grace now?"

"Um, where is the original girl?" Piper blurted, probably wanting to reassure her about her concerns about her mother.

The newer girl blinked in surprise. "Do you mean Willow? I've never had anyone ask that."

"Well, Annabeth here spends whole afternoons chatting with her maids."

The servant girl gaped at her.

She held up her hands. "I like them and all, but none of us have full afternoons to spend together. We just talk when they dress me."

Her mouth still didn't close. Finally, she shook herself, and still a little wide-eyed, she gestured up the stairs. "Lady Grace has one of the back chambers. She will see you now."

She brought them across the long trip through the Zeus mansion, and Annabeth was getting rather tired from looking at all the golden paintings of Zeus and walking down the expensive Persian carpets when they finally rounded a corner into a darker hallway. Fewer maids were here, dusting the corners and keeping only a few candles lit in the sitting room. The dark oak door at the end was completely untouched.

"That's Lady Grace's bedchamber," the servant announced, but both of them already guessed that.

"Is-is she awake?" Annabeth asked with trepidation.

"Mostly," she said vaguely before curtsying and disappearing.

"What does that mean?" Piper asked rhetorically.

Annabeth squeezed her hand and knocked the door. "Can we come in?" she asked softly.

A low, scratchy voice called out, "You better hurry up, and stop talking."

Annabeth and Piper exchanged looks. "Are you rethinking this?" she hissed. "Because I am. Desperately thinking this."

Piper shook her head and bravely straightened her shoulders. "Stop that. Thalia is our friend. This will go well." Then she swung open the door and marched in. Annabeth slowly sunk in behind.

"Close the door!" something in the gloom roared. "I don't want to see light!"

Annabeth snapped it shut.

"What are you doing here?" Thalia groaned, still invisible in the darkness of her room.

"Um… it's me, Piper. We have—"

"Wait!" she yelled. "You sounded different… are there two of you?!" Her voice was raised to an ear-blasting volume.

"Yeah…," Annabeth managed out.

"Aaaargh! Stupid annoying visitors in the morning, interrupting my precious sleep and barging into my space," she muttered to herself, but still loud enough for all of them to hear.

Piper and Annabeth reached a silent agreement to stay silent, at least temporarily. But as they waited, they could hear soft snoring, and the unmistakable noise of something rolling in blankets.

"Thalia?" Piper called incredulously. "Are you back to sleeping?"

"Not with you yapping in my ear!" she yelled in a slightly sleepy voice.

"She was," Annabeth stated. "Come on, Piper, let's go. This was a bad idea."

"Annabeth? Not you too! You used to be my friend, you know? This is pure and utter betrayal! It's like I barged into your personal library-oh yes, I know you have one-and burned all your books! Who in their right mind wakes me up _in the morning_?!"

Piper rubbed her forehead. She finally started to look regretful.

Annabeth yanked her to the side and they had a heated whispering contest. Then, before Thalia could go back to sleep, Annabeth strode over to her bedside. She kneeled by the older woman's head and said in a soft, coaxing tone. "Now, I know waking up and opening your eyes is hard, and it must be _so difficult_ for you, but we're your best best friends and we'll only take a little of your time."

Thalia, clearly annoyed at her condescending tone, rolled over and stuck out her tongue. Meanwhile, Piper had sneaked over to the back and tugged back the curtains, just for a silver. Thalia hissed and opened her eye slightly, revealing a strip of metallic sky blue. Her pupil zeroed onto Annabeth and she glared at her with the force of a thousand muscly women.

Annabeth recoiled a little at how electric Thalia's eye looked in the direct sunlight. "Um, good morning?"

She grunted in response.

Piper noisily dragged over two plush chairs. "I know Thalia is unlikely to get out of bed and dressed within this day, so we'll chat right here. We have something serious to talk about, Thalia."

She opened another lightning-blue eye, also just for a slit. If it wasn't for the nest of dark bed hair all over her pillow, Annabeth would worry that she looked dangerously like a snake. "What?" she asked sharply.

Piper folded her hands in her lap, looking excited to talk. "Well… you know about the Atlas family moving in three weeks ago, right?"

Thalia groaned and stared at her ceiling. "You're here to gossip?!" She muttered a handful of curse words that sailors would gasp at.

"Hush, I'm not done." She continued to speak over Thalia's "of course not." "Their youngest daughter was rather uprooted, don't you think? Calypso?"

"Go on," Thalia growled. "Just finish soon."

"She picked a slightly unfortunate time to drop in. I mean, this is the Season! Men are out _hunting_ for a beautiful and respectful wife, and there's plenty to chose from. Calypso's completely new, so who knows what could happen to her!"

"Get to your point, Piper," Annabeth said hurriedly, noticing something like a fist under the blanket.

"As you two are both well-informed about, Calypso has her own particular debutante dance tonight. It's going to be the start of her own, though slightly diminutive, Season. Basically, the start of her life from here. I think we should make an effort to help it become as helpful to her as possible. I've met her before, and she seems nice. Why can't we take her temporarily under our wing? All we have to do is introduce her to nice and rich guys and hide her from the nasty old men. And when people try to give them their own personal introductions, we can pick out what's rumored to be and what's true."

Annabeth guessed that Piper was going to say something like this, but she was still impressed. "Actually, that doesn't sound bad. It sounds fun. We can't just take over everything, though."

Piper's teeth gleamed in the semi-darkness. "Who said we can't? We can just push troublemakers out the back door and make sure the right crowd stays around Calypso while the mediocre one snacks on the refreshments." Her tone didn't sound like she was joking.

Thalia scrunched her eyes closed further. "While I am very much in the mood to do something evil right now, I don't want to engage in your misguided plans for completely sorting out this ball. Yes, we can offer her out very wise advice, and keep an eye out for who," she yawned so loudly the nearby windowpane rattled, "is untrustworthy, but I'm not going to hand her future off to you. Now, is that it? I want to sleep now. Even thinking about this ball I'm not going to attend to and what wisdom I'm going to pass off to this youngster is making me tired." Before either of them could say a thing, her pale arm darted out of the blankets to close the curtains, and she turned so her back faced them.

Annabeth wondered how her friends said all sorts of these ridiculous things but weren't joking as Piper pouted.

"Can we go?" she whispered to her. "We can figure this out later, but Thalia's room is creeping me out."

"Good!" Thalia snapped from across the bed.

Piper frowned and huffily left. Outside, in the hallway, the maid was waiting for them eagerly. "How did it go? I heard yelling, and a loud screech, but are you guys fine?"

"Yeah, that was just Piper moving chairs around. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a morning of heavy reading to do to calm my nerves, and a very important ball to get dressed for." Grinning, the servant girl lead them back.

"Hey!" Piper protested, hanging onto her arm. "Wait! We need to discuss potential suitors!"

Annabeth slowed a little to let her friend follow. "Yeah, okay, but I don't really know. Besides, hasn't she already started meeting some of the men around here?"

Piper raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow. "Really? Actually, I have heard about that, just a little. Apparently, there's this Demeter boy who loves talking about plants with her or something…?"

"Alright, that's a strange rumor. No, there's something else…" Suddenly, her brain jolted and sent a memory to her. Just around a month and a half ago she was out with Luke, playing croquet, and Percy showed up with one of the many girls he was courting. Her angry emotions from then surged up, along with all the observances she made about Luke and the new girl, Calypso. Piper was right, she was quite nice. But her with Percy? Her stomach turned at the thought, though she didn't know why. It didn't seem, initially, like a horrible pair, but a nagging feeling told her they didn't belong together. And there was a continuous protesting in her sternum, which twisted up in knots at the thought. She shook aside all these quasi-intuitive thoughts and turned to Piper. "Actually, I saw her out courting Perseus Jackson." She tried to make her voice calm, but she was almost certain there was a wobble.

Piper raised an eyebrow again. "Since when did you call him 'Perseus Jackson?' It was always 'Lord Poseidon' or 'Lord Jackson' or 'evil villain' and 'enemy of the world.'"

"I have never said any such thing!" she sputtered. "I just simply called him that, alright? Doesn't mean anything."

"Hmm, I have made Annabeth Chase flustered. I wonder that this means," she answered musingly, smirking at her.

Annabeth, for some reason, felt an unfamiliar instinct to not say anything about whatever happened between her and Percy. Maybe that was because it felt too unreal, and she didn't want to ruin it but exposing it to the sunlight. After all, there was hardly any semblance of a relationship between them. This was too fragile for her best friend to squeal over. _Soon_ , she promised herself.

"Nothing. Come on, we have more serious things at hand to discuss. Not really, but anything is more interesting. You do know that you have most likely lost Thalia in your scheme, right?"

"I'm sure she'll come to reason," Piper said confidently, like she didn't witness what happened at all.

"Too be honest, I don't think she'd be interested in picking out suitors for Calypso anyway."

"True, she thinks all men are evil, but some are slightly less."

"Yeah, well, we're probably one the former list right now, Pipes, thanks to today."

"It's not exactly a big deal!" she protested. "It's already seven!"

Annabeth gave her the evil eye. "Yeah, and you woke me up at five to get dressed and sneak desserts from my chef. Besides, you'd have to have disappeared from earth for most of your life to not know that Thalia hates mornings."

"I do, I just didn't think it would be that bad."

"Actually, I can stop holding my breath now, because she wasn't grabbing your hair or staining your brand-new gown with sheep blood."

"Um, what?"

"My brain is getting increasingly strange after getting woken up too early. You do know that proper ladies sleep until noon, right?"

"Yeah, because they party all night!" Piper looked indignant. "We're higher than them."

Annabeth waved a hand at her. "Yes, yes. I know. Um, hello?" She tapped the servant girl's shoulder. "When-actually, no. What's your name?"

Her eyes grew huge. "Are you actually asking that?"

"Yes."

"Um, I'm called Myrrh."

"Okay. Myrrh, when do we get there?"

She checked the hallways. "Soon, I think. Maybe ten minutes."

"Oh, so we're close!" Piper exclaimed happily.

"Great, because my feet are hurting. Remind me to wear my sturdier boots next time. These were embroidered."

Piper smirked at her. "Well, guess what? I'm in my slippers."

"Won't you get them stained?" Annabeth thought back to the Olympian gala, where her and Percy had thought the exact same thing, and flushed a little. She couldn't believe he saw her through so easily.

"No…wait, are you blushing?"

"Nonsense. I thought of something irrelevant. Continue."

"Nope. What did you think of?"

She narrowed her eyes at her. "Why do you want to know?"

"Why are you asking?" Piper grinned pleasantly at her.

"Why are you asking _that_?" she countered.

Myrrh stifled a giggle in front of them. She probably thought they were the most ridiculous pair of ladies she'd ever come upon.

"Um, are we there yet?" Annabeth asked, shading her eyes as light from a particularly placed window reflected off a life-size golden statue of Zeus and tried to blind her.

"Yes, almost there. Sorry for the walk. Lady Grace is considering moving her chambers, but The Most Honorable Duke Zeus insists that they must live in the most important area."

"Well, add another vote for moving her room. This is an exercise in itself, and Madame Lark instructed me to avoid exercise."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "Is she blind? You can hardly stand still!"

"I think you're talking about yourself."

Piper clandestinely snuck in a jab to Annabeth's tightly wrapped-up ribs, and in return she elbowed her shoulder. They were badly stifling their laughs and shrieks of pain when Myrrh gave them a very confused look. "I didn't know any Olympus lady acted like so other than Thalia."

"Oh, Myrrh, just you wait. One day we'll invite all the girls over for a sleepover and you'll see how wrong that is."

She had to grin back at them. "Alright, the door just down that hallway." They went down the mirrored and bedazzled hallway (it was probably the one for receiving guests) and then descended the curving marble staircase to the huge front hall.

"Finally, we're here!" Piper exclaimed like she'd been at sea for a century.

Her footman, standing very obviously by the doorway, came closer in all his pink frippery. He grandly swept open the door, took Piper's arm, and took them back to her carriage. It was a flaming scarlet, with golden ruffles along the sides, and Annabeth's eyes continued to burn.

After they bordered the carriage, Annabeth quickly stopped the footman. "Ah, footman, I have a request. Can you drive quickly? I'm not sure how much more of this glitter I can take."

-line break-

"You came!" Just as Annabeth stepped into the tall doorway of the Atlas' banquet hall, a shriek and a thin figure bombarded her. Arms looped around her and _squeezed_. "Annabeth, hello!"

When Annabeth managed to separate herself from Silena's heavily embroidered bodice, she wheezed out a, "Hey."

"I'm so glad to see you! Almost everyone is here tonight. It's going to be fun."

Annabeth surveyed the room. It was plainly decorated, but all the bronze and crystal were well-polished, the perfect standard for a debut ball. It was already filling up, with nattily dressed lords and ladies milling about the dance floor and eyeing the long table of finger snacks. She spotted a few crests and coat-of-arms adorning overcoat breasts or wraps. Was this one of these events where people fought out their social standing? Oh, dear. She was about to search for possible escape routes when Silena shook her arm.

"Look! Pairs are circling one another. I detect possible romance!"

Annabeth groaned. "Please, I don't need even more drama tonight."

Silena spun around, her eyes trained on her. "What did you say? What else is happening?" Suddenly she grinned hugely. "Is Luke going to do something… special?"

"No!" She threw up her hands, mixed feelings from her most recent date with him surfacing. "Don't ask that!"

"Oh, okay," Silena murmured, giving her a look of concern. She may have been the gossip-loving, romance-hunting type of girl, but she could also read emotions like Annabeth could read books.

She sighed. "It's not a big deal. Not really. Anyway, what's actually happening tonight is that Piper wants us to help Calypso around London society. I don't believe she's doing it out of her own heart, but she hasn't explained why."

Silena pursed her lips. "Actually, my sister can be very kindhearted sometimes. Especially towards young, brand-new girls like Calypso. They'd make good friends."

"Well, I kind of want to hide from her. She has a lot planned."

"Do you think she'd let me help?" Silena suddenly perked up. "I have all the insider knowledge anyone needs!"

"True," Annabeth acknowledged. "You'd be more help than me. Can you do me a favor keep her busy, at least for the first half of the ball? She already sent me five letters detailing her grand scheme for Calypso's marriage earlier. I have a feeling that I don't want to get involved."

Silena was clearly busy imagining some other scheme herself. "Yeah, yeah, of course."

"Alright, go find your sister." She nudged her, and soon she was just a pink-and-brown blur in the crowd of people.

Annabeth wandered the edges of the room, trying to identify someone else to chat with. Pretty much everyone in the Olympus circle, around her age, was here. This could end up very successful or disastrous, she surmised. She hoped that Piper knew what she was doing.

As more and more people streamed in, the musicians began striking up a soft tune, and a few people began dancing. Annabeth spotted Travis begrudgingly abandoning his brother to dance with Katie. Connor, meanwhile, darted off towards the stairs. Annabeth made a mental note to avoid the balconies. The Apollo kids were also eyeing the musicians and dancing in one big group. With hardly more than two adults present, there clearly wasn't going to be a lot of formal dancing. She took this as her cue to miss out on most of them and examine the snack table. Carved ceramic platters and bronze-handled display towers crowded the long, uncovered table. A lit candelabra stood in the middle.

Happily, she started picking off the cream puffs and macarons, eating them in a discreet place behind an empty couch in case some guy got the idea to ask her to dance. She was emerging for more when someone cleared their throat behind her.

She spun around, one foot edging out of her skirt in case they wanted her to move to the side, and suddenly lost her breath. In front of her was Perseus Jackson himself, this time in fancy banquet clothes. A large overcoat with gold brocade and wide lapels, velvet breeches, a wide shirt with lace piling up at the collar, and his hair somehow combed back neatly. His usual ocean smell mixed with musky cologne filled her throat exhilaratingly.

"Hi," she managed to gasp.

He blinked, his dark lashes brushing across his wide cheekbones for a second, hiding his crystalline eyes. "Annabeth, hello." He bowed.

"Oh-oh." Right, they were in public again, they had to introduce themselves formally. "Hello, Lord Poseidon." She curtsied. "How are you?"

"I am fine, Lady Athena. And you?"

"I am alright. Many thanks for asking."

"The pleasure is all mine."

When pleasantries were done being exchanged, she couldn't help but search his face. What was he feeling, now that they had a true? Did he feel just a bit panicky, like her, but also excited? Or was he regretting whatever happened?

He was searching her eyes too. An urgent look crossed his face, and he lightly took her hand and led her to a corner. Annabeth was barely recovering from his warm touch and the tingles it sent up her arm when he released her, leaving her with a slightly hollowed feeling.

"Well, here, we can finally talk. How are you, actually?"

She sank against the wall, feeling a little overwhelmed by this turn of events. "I'm fine, truly. I'm glad for Calypso. I hope she finds a nice suitor."

"Oh, yes, she's starting out almost two months late, well, officially." His ears tinged slightly red, and they looked away, probably reminiscing about the time they met at croquet.

"But, um, yeah, I think some of the nicer gentlemen of London will really suit her." She gave him a small smile, and for a second, he looked like he was about to say something, but then he smiled at her back.

Annabeth's mind started leaping into action, trying to pull apart his every undefined action instinctively. He paused and-there was a flash in his eye. He was probably trying to make a joke, definitely about what category he fit in with the "gentlemen of London." But that was clearly a sensitive topic around them.

She tried not to sigh. Ever since that talk at his countryside home, a question had lingered on the back of her mind, and though she tried not to think too much about it, her curiosity about him had definitely pushed her through her taboo over their family feud. Annabeth was just too intrigued about who he was, really. Who was this strange man who sauntered in, ruined her name, and then was suddenly giving her such a heartfelt apology? Who was the real him that she could trust? And why did he give up arguing and teasing her to bare his soul?

More and more questions swirled in her mind, and she stared up at him, mouth slightly open as she tried to say something.

"Are you alright?" He asked, a nervous rise in his tone.

She blinked and internally shook herself, pushing the burning confusion away. "Yes, yes. I got caught away in my thoughts. Apologies."

"It is fine. Yes, quite a lot is going to happen tonight, with our whole collection of second- and third-cousins here along with some others I don't believe I'm related to." He discreetly gestured the drink table where a blond, round-cheeked boy with purple-stained lips, fervently watching his brother, who was chugging down the contents of a heavy wine bottle.

"The Dionysus kids," she noted, smirking. A soft voice in her mind, running a commentary, muttered, "He causally inserted a joke to diffuse tension. He read that something is up, of course, that was a long pause, but he won't dare to pry." "Well, um, I can't really believe how I'm related to them, too," she said. "I'm almost certain they were raised on alcohol."

"I believe so, too." His bright eyes flickered about the room, searching for a new victim for them to discuss. "Ooh, and Travis has managed to wrangle Katie for three dances, already. Something is certainly happening tonight."

"Notice how bashful she looks, and annoyed, but still slightly enjoying it."

"That's how she always looks around him."

They laughed lightly. Treading around the heavy topics would have to do for now.

"So, uh, how was your trip here? The Atlas mansion is a ways away out of the Olympus circle, but I didn't have too much trouble getting through the large gate."

"No, I didn't either. It was a fairly short trip, no interruptions. The road is completely smooth." But he had to unsuccessfully hide a large grin.

She cocked her head. "What's so amusing?"

He shook his head, smiling self-depreciatingly. "Nothing, really. I doubt you'd find it funny."

"I wouldn't mind hearing about it, though." Again, curiosity got the better hold of her.

Percy smiled sheepishly at her. "Alright, well, a ways away is basically a repeated word. And also, very formal."

The commentator voice said musingly, "And now we're on language linguistics. Whatever romantic ideals, or even the dismissed possibility of a ferocious fight, are utterly dashed. But he's just suggested something very obvious. Of course, I'm formal. Is this an opening for a joke?"

A debate speedily battled itself out in her mind. "I try to be formal," she said blankly, studying his expression for any reaction.

He bit his lip, looking embarrassed. "Yes," he said quietly, and then louder, "Well, it's an interesting phrase. I'll be sure to use it with my friends later on."

Jason, Annabeth suspected. It was slightly mind-boggling how he was best friends with her best friend's fiancé, but just a week ago they were yelling at each other. "I hope they'll enjoy it as much as you do." Another slight smile.

"I doubt it. Jason's extremely serious. I, meanwhile, find quite a number of things funny."

"I see." Commentary: "A revelation about himself! This is going into deep territory! Follow this lead!" She cleared her throat and forced herself to look him square in the eye and tried make her expression at ease. "I, according to Piper, only find 'ancient high-level-literature jokes' funny." She would be surprised if her voice didn't tremble under the intensity of his sea-colored eyes.

"Actually, I don't entirely agree. You laughed at my jokes." His lip quirked slightly up, but she hardly saw it from being so focused on his eyes.

"Well, they are sometimes funny."

"Thank you, actually." He said this with real gratitude. "And you make your own jokes too. That just completely breaks her argument."

"I'll-I'll be sure to tell Piper." A spark of nervousness flared in her mind. They were in completely friendly territory, discussing mutual friends. "But thanks for trying to defend my sense of humor."

He tilted his head, his eyes warmly probing. "Well, anything for that."

That forced her into grinning. He broke their locked eyes to caught her smile, which made her feel strangely abandoned, but the happy shine in those sea-green pupils afterwards completely made up for it.

She looked around the room, searching for something to talk about. "Oh, look. A few extra violins are walking up. A slow song is approaching, certainly. Won't we be expected?"

He bit the edge of his lip, looking worried for a bit. But then his expression relaxed. "Well, the only person even possibly likely to bother me about dancing is Jason, and he's very busy right now."

She found him in the center of the crowd wearing a strikingly blue cravat. He was completely wrapped around Piper, his eyes only seeing her. "Ah. That applies to my best friend, too, then. Also, Silena, but she'll never miss out on a slow dance." Silena was eagerly pulling Beckendorf over to the crowd, who had resigned and tired but somehow also adoring expression. She studied the couples slowly beginning to sway as tender notes floated over them, feeling disruptive and just the slightest bit wistful, but why, she couldn't tell.

She felt the light pressure of a gaze against the side of her face, and turned to see Percy watching her, his face soft and warmly dazed. When her eyes met his, he initially smiled, but then surprise jolted into him and he spun around, flushing.

She stared at him, confused and curious and the beginnings of theories appearing in her mind, but looked away before she could think too much about her suspicions.

This dance was like watching freshly harvested honey getting poured into a jar, smooth and slow and sweet. When the light, quiet notes of the finale hit the air, a new question popped into Annabeth's mind. She decided to ease into it.

"Percy, you don't have any obligation to stay here with me, you know. Do find a girl and write—" A flashback of his horrid handwriting on her delicate dance card broke her speech. She swallowed and continued on. "And ask her to dance. They're going to play another slow song."

"Oh, really? Why?" He had the strange lilt in his voice whenever someone was asking a question they knew the answer to.

She discreetly glanced at him from the corner of her eye, and then saw him looking right at her. Her gaze jumped away like she was the one doing something scandalous. "Um, well, you see…" she cleared her throat, trying to gather her thoughts. "It's the consecutive order of songs are usually played. The first slow song is always followed by another. The second romantic dance isn't as important as the first, so you can very well ask one of the few remaining girls. Again, I don't mind if we pause. I'll find someone, too."

"Oh, thanks for explaining." His usually sparkling eyes were dull and glazed over.

Annabeth frowned. Something was off, not in a horrible way, but in a rather strange but unurgent way. "It was my pleasure. Now, go find someone." She made a slight shooing motion. Rude, yes, but there was something that pushed her to do it. Something that resonated of obligation and requirement and hidden resignation.

A wave of inbred indignation about obeying surged up. _There is nothing wrong about following rules!_ Another argument came to light. _So, are you suggesting that you should keep him from dancing with someone else?_ She tried not to groan. A curse on her overly detailed thinking.

Percy was still watching her, this time with confusion as hardly-masked conflicting emotions flicked through her face. "Annabeth…" he began tentatively.

"I'm fine," she said brusquely. "But really, we should find a dance partner each. I'll go first, if you want." She marched forward, but something stopped her. Not a touch, not a sound, in fact, to her knowledge Percy was completely still. But she felt burst of reluctance that she was somehow certain both of them felt.

She spun around, looking at him seriously. Breezy, happy notes orchestrated another heartfelt dance behind them. But neither of them paid it any attention. His emerald gaze was as somber and intense as hers.

Like there was an invisible hand pushing her forward, she stepped closer to him, back to her original spot, out of sight from the rest of the dances.

Neither of them spoke, not wanting to break the spell. Then Percy slowly reached out, as if in a daze, and touched her wrist. It was covered with a heavy lace-topped cotton sleeve, but fire spot up her arm the split second his glove met the spot to the left of her bumpy wrist bone. Flames licked at her tendons, and sparks sizzled frenetically in her nerves, but it was a completely weightless, painless sensation.

His fingers spread around her wrist, gliding around her sleeve with the barest of touches. Her whole arm was burning in something other than pain. Her heart was thudding, and all calculating thoughts were put on hold in her mind. Finally, the stretchy skin between his thumb and forefinger was lightly touching her arm, and it was gentle, but firm, and somehow set all of her feelings to chaos.

None of their eyes dared to meet, but she could feel his gaze against her chin, her cheek. Tingles spread across her face. Like he somehow sensed it, he quickly, easily pulled his fingers from her, not a single remaining touch. Her mind cleared, her cheeks cooled, but the whirlwind of unnamed emotions in her heart didn't stop spinning. But instead of awkwardness or confusion as the predominating one, there was a content, settled feeling, like they both expected that to come.

And then Percy whispered, "I don't know who else to dance with."

The talkative observer voice started shrieking. "This is dark territory! Dancing together?" Suddenly, the ever-blunt voice quieted, even if only for a second. Nothing wanted to approach the subject of "together." "But this calls forward references of their first meeting! When he brazenly stole your dance! It's the whole reason for the grudge and the fight!"

She opened her mouth, about to suggest someone. The moment dimmed, and in a desperate leap, she said, "There's another one, afterwards."

He looked into her eyes, and the spell completely broke, but in a nice way, like a sunset melting into the ocean, a gift box being opened.

But it also brought in the sounds of swishing skirts, expensive boots, a stream of piano. It sounded loud and almost lurid. Embarrassment finally reached Annabeth, pinched her cheeks until they turned bright red.

She turned away, picked another lighter topic. "But, really, Percy, why did you start up a long conversation with me? You should've known you would miss a lot of dances."

"Well, maybe I don't want to join them," he said softly, like he was introducing a new idea.

Suddenly, words he said to her, at the Olympus gala, came back to her. She asked him the same thing, and he said—

"I attend parties every day. Being an Athena lady, you probably don't, but this is the Season. You're still invited to quite a few. Doesn't it all turn into the same thing?"

She bit her lip, looked down. This was so blunt, so true, she wanted to pretend it wasn't. But she didn't need to answer, as Percy nodded for her and continued. "Dance with all the right people, link good names to you, make sure your reputation is better and better…"

Annabeth had to block out her commentator, even if it was suggesting alternate talk about getting closer, but the warning bells were giving her a slight headache. "What else is there to do? I don't really mind it, because of that."

He leaned closer, until she could see every shade of his eyes from pale, new green to blackish blue. "What else is there to do?" He repeated, and then gestured to both of them. "Really?" His voice wasn't judging, but deadly serious.

And then Annabeth found herself facing a border. She knew if she crossed it, familiar land would forever look like a slightly foreign place she left behind, and the other side would have a touch a home instead.

She made a decision, but not a complete one. "Can I get another dessert, at least?"

He studied her face, then smiled. "Why, of course not. My lady," he held out his arm.

She took it, and as she could feel his steady pulse, her own heartbeat spiked. She offered him a small, uncharacteristically hesitant smile, and then they confidently strode over to the long table of food.

 **Okay, that's it. I hoped you guys liked the second half, at least. It's the product of the few pieces of inspiration I gleaned over this week(s).**

 **And I don't have any reviews, so ha! Or not.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Welp, it's around time I wrote another one of these. I guess I'm back to my old posting schedule. I'll still try to speed things up, but I have school now.**

 **Enjoy!**

Annabeth couldn't help her mind from racing as she rode the carriage back home. Tonight was…one of the most engaging conversations she'd had in a while. First, it was a long chat, set against the ever-repeating backdrop of elegant, formal music and skirts brushing against the floor and shoes tapping against the lacquered marble floor. Second, it was a long chat with someone she'd always considered as her destined nemesis.

That was a thought that continuously popped up in her mind, even if she tried to forget it. Perseus Jackson, Poseidon, was someone her family hated, someone she should've been trying to best her whole life. It's just that, looking at him like that seemed harder, more difficult, when he took the time to carefully orchestrate a meeting between them just so he could open up about his faults and apologize.

Maybe it was how Annabeth was always taught, since she was a child in the cradle, that the one thing she absolutely could not live without, beyond her beauty and whatnot, was her sense of self-pride. She couldn't imagine apologizing to anyone about her faults so blatantly, so vulnerably.

But that led to another burning question. What caused him to treat her like a rag doll, and then step back and vow to change? Why didn't he stick to his original treatment, or just completely abandon her?

But, in the heart of their conversation, all these wonderings flew out of her head. All she could think of were the innocently hilarious jokes he told, that planted a huge, goofy smile onto her face, the little things he'd awkwardly reveal about himself, like his obsession with blue (Annabeth could guess that from the _blue_ rose she'd received from him, instead of a red one) and sword fighting (for this, a few shameful images of him in fitted bronze armor came to mind) and how he preferred spending his afternoons in the pool instead of shooting pool or playing cards.

Except for that flaming moment when he grasped her wrist and she felt every single one of her nerves thrum before fizzing out into numbness, which she could hardly stop questioning and going over in her mind, it was just warm, casual, getting-to-know-each-other banter. Something she hadn't had for so long, it felt like a rare delicacy.

It was clearly rare to her, since when Percy started pointing his favorite types of gentlemen's overcoats, and then turned to her with, "And you?" she'd simply blinked at him. It was only when she finally recovered from the shock did she randomly pointed to a tailored purple coat with gleaming silver buttons.

And then Percy nodded and said, "Ah, that's nice," with a knowing look in his eye. He'd somehow caught her surprise even after knowing her for…well…now that Annabeth thought about it, more than two months.

Clearly, over that laughing, snack-sneaking, decidedly not dancing night, Percy managed to unknowingly edge into her "friend" territory.

Annabeth wrapped her arms around herself, and shivered slightly, not sure what to make of this idea.

Perhaps she was just too entranced by the idea of something forbidden, or maybe she actually wanted companionship, or she was possibly just taken by that night with all the jokes and—

A bump in the road slowed down the stream of thoughts scrolling through her mind. She shook her head. As usual, she was overthinking things. That would probably slow her down if she ever got involved in some swashbuckling adventure.

She tried to sort out her mind and pick out a productive topic when the familiar dove-gray façade of the Athena mansion came into view. Automatically, she straightened up, smoothed out wrinkles in her heavy satin-covered skirt, and made sure the ribbon handle of her receptacle was placed against her wrist just right. The large carriage wheels slowed at the paved driveway, and a footman with a modest lace collar came over to Annabeth's side, flung open the door, and held out his gloved hand with a small flourish.

Annabeth dutifully took his hand and, as gracefully as she could manage, stepped out. She tried not to visibly wince when her skirt lingered on the carriage floor for a second too long, causing the process of her daintily picking it up to be rushed. No doubt Madame Lark and Mother were watching her arrival from the second-floor's tinted windows. She released the footman's hand and waited for her sisters to emerge from their carriages before heading into the house.

The next few hours passed in a blur. She was herded upstairs, undressed and groomed by obedient maids' hands, and then guided into her soft bed where she fell into a deep sleep, only interrupted by nonsensical dreams of sea-green eyes and gentle touches.

-line break-

Annabeth was completely caught off guard when a servant boy brought up a sealed envelop to her. So was the rest of her maids.

She'd deftly sliced through the neat wax seal (it was just a generic web of swirls, maybe they were worried this would fall into the wrong hands) and unfolded a clean, spotless sheet with familiar, almost typewriter-like handwriting.

Annabeth blinked and looked up, shocked. When her surprise faded, she found herself staring into the face of Julia, who looked equally anxious. "Who is it?" she asked nervously, like she had an idea or two.

"Luke," she murmured, trying to push down the explosion of emotions in her chest.

Her maids all glanced at each other and then, simultaneously, each ran to a separate part of her room. "What gown, miss?" "Which jewels?" "Miss, the French perfume?" "Do you want a special lotion for your hands?" "Do you want an older purse?" "Which comb should I use on your hair?" A chorus of yells sounded from her vanity and wardrobe.

Annica came forward, clutching her hands together. "All your alright, miss? You look slightly… lost."

Annabeth pursed her lips. She was lost. She had no idea how to deal with him. But the invitation said he would pick her up in a quarter hour. She had no time to ponder these things. Annabeth had to meet him looking like a proper lady at the very least. She straightened her shoulders, placed the paper on her side table, and marched over to her closet, picking one of her more simpler gowns, and then to the waiting hands of her hands behind the dressing screen.

A few minutes left to a quarter of an hour later, Annabeth was picking her way down the newly waxed staircase, trying to not grip the smooth banister for dear life and scrunching up her toes in her silk slippers. After swallowing many, many grimaces and constantly steadying herself, she made her way down to the front doorway. And not a moment too soon.

Williamson smiled and bowed to her, and then spun around to open the door after there was a knock. A footman, dressed in the sturdy travelling attire only servants of the Hermes house wore, smiled pleasantly and bowed. "Hello, Lady Athena," he said in the light, formal, yet somehow mischievous tone Annabeth had heard so many times over her childhood. "My lord requests an outing with you."

"Yes, of course." She tried to smile back, but her nerves were twisting into complicated knots only a sailor could undo. "I welcome him."

Luke was then in front of her, with his ever-bright grin. "Annabeth, hello," he breathed. "How are you?"

"I am fine. You?"

"Now that I have the pleasure of your company, I am very well."

Her smile faltered slightly. This was still formal speech, but far more courageous than a basic, "good" that Luke preferred. What changed? "Thank you," she said after a pause. "My spirit lifts, too, at your visit. Speaking of which, where are we going?"

His grin widened. "Hyde Park. The very last trees are shedding their colorful leaves, and then we will wait for winter to settle in."

Her memory flashed to the time she was in the Demeter garden with Percy. He was startlingly poetic then, but now, he was more like the very beginning of a mystery novel. A blush spilled onto her cheeks, and she swallowed. "I greatly look forward to it. Shall we begin, or do you have any requests?"

"No, I look forward to it, too." He held out his arm, she effortlessly linked hers into it, and they strode out to the carriage.

As they sat across from each other and made their way down the bustling roads of London, Annabeth noticed through the grayish light from the window that his bright, friendly expression had disappeared and he was staring somberly out the glass.

Worried thoughts raced through her mind, she told herself not to analyze what happened during their last meeting, but she didn't listen. Through all the awkward, stilted silences, they seemed to shift into another world, one where Annabeth was no longer the little, braid-sporting girl Luke would easily hoist onto tall tree branches before clambering on himself. One where they faced a how slew of new decisions and paths, or maybe, where they turned away.

The unknown sent a chill through Annabeth. Luke, ever the chivalrous gentleman, noticed this through the corner of his eye and immediately whipped off his coat. He leaned in, looking worried and serious, and proffered his jacket.

"You must be cold," he said, not even waiting for a response as he gently guided it around her shoulders, carefully straightening it around her small frame. "Winter is approaching. Be careful not to catch the flu, Annabeth."

She nodded, darting a glance at him. He was studying her with a professional, searching look, but not her face.

Then they turned back to their respective windows, and while he looked like he was carved out of stone from the sparse looks Annabeth would sneak of him, her mind was turning its wheels so fast she could almost feel herself heating up. Theories and suspicions and questions and reports and studies surged up erratically in her head. She was so occupied with trying to sort through her occupied brainpan that when the carriage stopped by the park gates and Luke announced that they were there, she barely noticed. Only when he carefully touched her arm did she emerge back into the real world.

In the park, they picked one of the smooth, manicured paths and strode down it, mostly quiet except for a few compliments about the gardening and or the weather. Eventually, almost after an eternity, Luke looked over in her direction and began, casually, "Work has actually been rather eventful. I have lots to tell you, Annabeth."

They easily slipped back into their normal routine, where Luke would discuss all sorts of cases from the real world and Annabeth would try to learn and absorb it all. But all this new information didn't completely distract her, there was still an underlying current of unease, of confusion.

But nothing happened that afternoon. After that pleasant afternoon, Luke noted that the sky was darkening, and they both headed into the carriage.

She got a call from him a few days later. All those dull days of sewing and singing and dancing and playing piano had given her mind plenty of space to wander. She'd overanalyzed her relationship with Luke to an impossible point. So, her hands were shaking with apprehension as she approached him again in the front hall and then went with him to a sitting room. But their conversation was as smooth as still water. She'd been on the edge the whole hour, yet nothing happened. No mentions of their potential future together. No intense emotions, no abrupt signs of affection (or, the lack thereof).

And then there was a warm yellow envelop resting by her head when she woke up, and she opened to find the Hermes estate as the address on the bottom, and the whole process was repeated. Over and over, this running cycle.

The month melded into a blur. She continued to notice how he ever-so-dutifully watched out for her, and how his conversations were brilliant and pleasant and engaging—but not really. It was just for her to listen, and she found herself, for the first time, wishing she had something to answer him with. For the few days when he wouldn't find a spot in her schedule, Annabeth would furiously come up with ideas, responses to match his issues, but when she saw him in person with that shiny smile and clever manner all that would evaporate from her mind. And that moment, when he wouldn't stop worrying after her when she fell, wasn't the only one. He always seemed to keep an eye on her every need, and whenever there was an issue, he wouldn't stop at anything to make sure she was okay. Even if nothing really happened.

So, the month really wasn't a dull blank. Instead, her confusion and hesitation and negative feelings built up into a mammoth knot. She felt its pressure, every time she curtsied to him, every time she nodded at his words. She knew it would reach its climax, and then soon _something_ was going to happen between them.

Annabeth wasn't sure how she felt about that either.

There was something grounding her, however. It was the only thing that helped her last through all these meetings. Something she would try to banish from her mind, but it didn't always work. Something that was so nice it could battle with all her confusion with Luke.

Every week, unrelentingly, Perseus would find a way to meet her. William Herdwick's calling card was a regular visitor on the card tray. They would chat on the balcony seats of his countryside mansion, drinking in the view of the barren fields, on quietly laugh in the fancily upholstered sitting rooms of the Athena mansion. They would stroll down the streams of the olive groves in her backyard, and the light filtering through the silver leaves would tint his eyes blue and light up the angles of his face. They would ride an open-top carriage in parks, smiling and talking way more than the normal lords and ladies. Perseus would send her crumpled invitations to the visiting circus, and she would be the only one in the shadowy seats of the tent in such glamorous jewels, but everyone was too busy wowing at the glittery people swinging around or twirling to notice. She would bring him to her favorite bakeries and introduce him to the best buttered croissants in London and smile behind her fan as he groaned happily. They would, of course, attend all kinds of dances, usually mortal, and alternate between whirling on the wooden floors or chatting behind potted plants.

It was so wonderful and easy to get used to and, well, normal but not normal at the same time that all her charged questions and wonderings about him slowly faded and she only had to smile at him and not laugh to hard at his jokes. One would think that, as their relationship progressed, she'd be thinking of who they were, but no, Annabeth could simply accept their fleeting touches and unforgettable moments.

It was a wonder she even could think of Luke when Percy was there.

 **Alright, I'm done. Was that too rushed? Or did you guys love it as much as I did. If I get enough requests I might do a separate oneshot about one of those days. That sounds incredibly fun.**

 **Reviews:**

 **Rocktay: Thanks! It's really nice of you to leave a review.**

 **FantasyQueen2509: Yes, it was that cute. Thanks! And I'm really happy you review so much.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Gah! It's been so long since I've posted. I really miss writing, and hopefully some of you miss reading this.**

 **Okay, quick alert! I have a new story up my sleeves. As soon as I finish this one (like, you know, a million years later) I will immediately come out with that one. However, I SERIOUSLY need someone's help about IM'ing people. Or else I can't contact the person I got the idea from and then there will be overseas copyright laws banging on my door. So, uh, yeah.**

 **Enjoy!**

Annabeth woke up to a hand shaking her shoulder, a pale sliver of light striped across her pillow, and birds chirping softly to one another as if they, too, just woke. She shook her head, disoriented. Madame Lark sometimes required her to wake up at the crack of dawn, but if there was a packed night of galas and parties, she could sleep in. So, what was this?

"Miss!" Someone whispered cautiously.

She spun around, but the movement was too quick for her sleep-fogged brain. "Yes?" she croaked, rubbing her eyes.

Once her vision grew clear, she could see Annica standing in front of her in the servants' day gown, twisting the lacy end of her apron around her finger. She was biting down on her lip until Annabeth met her eyes. "Miss!" she exclaimed excitedly, her voice still hushed. "Good morning! I-I have something to deliver."

A pair of birds tweeted outside sharply. Annabeth stared at her maid. "What?"

Annica bit her lip again. "Um, I can't say right now, miss." Her words jumbled together into one incoherent mess. "It's j-just from someone private, miss." She carefully tugged a package out from her apron pocket and shoved it under a corner of Annabeth's blankets. "Hide it soon, miss. Farewell." And then she ran out of Annabeth's room, only pausing to shut her door silently.

Annabeth blinked, stunned. She was a little thrilled at receiving something that was most likely outlawed. She carefully reached under her blanket, her fingers wrapping around a smooth paper package. Whatever was inside was light and crunched slightly. _Paper._

She lifted it out of the covers, into the dim light, and felt unwarranted excitement well up in her. Sealing the packaging together was a tiny navy crest, a familiar one of two dolphins curving around a trident. It was from the Poseidon Mansion.

She swallowed a little, as she always did. All the warnings and hate towards him that had been implemented in her since she was a child still existed, faintly. Guilt also tingled in her fingers as she shifted it from hand to hand. She knew she was being a traitor for her family by even touching this.

But Annabeth pushed aside those feelings, as always. She knew, deep in her heart, that she was excited to open this up, and she would. She delicately broke the crest right above her candle, knowing that when it came to lit in the morning, the blue wax would melt alongside with the liquefying tip of the candle, and she could simply pour the murky, colored mess into an ashtray or rubbish bin. Besides, her maids wouldn't tell, not that she offered them many secrets to contain.

Then she carefully lifted up the two folds, trying to not rip it. Finally, smooth letter-writing paper was revealed underneath. She abandoned the packaging on her bedside table and unfolded the letter. Horrible, chicken-scratch handwriting greeted her. She could already catch around five things misspelled in the first sentence.

Annabeth smiled to herself. Percy had an issue with English, she had found out, and it took a while for her to admit that she did, too, but Athena's training had pressed that out of her.

Luckily, she'd received enough of his letters to be able to decipher it. It was a happy, pleasant letter, resonating with sweetness, shyness, and absurd humor, signature to the man she came to know. She had to bit her lip from smiling too much when he wrote about the time he was horseback riding and his playful steed, Blackjack, had flipped him over a fence. She wasn't just smiling at the image. A week or so again, Percy had led her down Poseidon's magnificent stable and picked another spirited horse for her, Porkpie. They had gone riding together, and though Annabeth had cramps all the way down her legs from sitting sidesaddle, it was an incredible afternoon to see Percy and Blackjack fly through the field, a yelling, midnight-colored blur, and to feel Porkpie's muscles rippling under her as she, too, soared.

Afterwards, she caught a dark expression on Percy's face when he was lifting the saddles from their horses, and the bronze crest of Poseidon was gleaming in the lamplight. She opened her mouth to speak, but he gruffly shook his head and dropped them onto their rightful nails.

The same worried feelings swirled in her now, but as she read on and he was talking about one of the tastiest dinner banquets he'd ever been to, the gnawing concern faded and was replaced by a memory of them at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, trying to blend in with their drabbest clothes. But Percy was too clean-shaven, his hair too shiny to really fit in, and he whispered to her that she still looked like a lady in Annica's dusty old gown. They were both blushing too hard, afterwards, to enjoy the delicious chicken pie and glazed cake, small as they were.

The smile on her face was too hard to contain, then. She continued reading as he talked about the huge pyramid of olives and how he knew Annabeth would just love it. She admitted it, she was completely impressed by the way it sounded. And then it was him saying, "Hey, that's just like the afternoon we had in your backyard. It's really pretty, for an olive grove." Her cheeks ached, knowing that she herself had thought of the same thing. He'd shown up with his William Herdwick calling card, and they'd taken a stroll in the small olive grove to the side of her house, their chaperone far behind them in the pale, elegant trees. He'd only taken his hat off for about twenty minutes, but it wiped away all her confusion and anxiety from her meeting with Luke in the morning. A little manmade stream tinkled musically as they walked, and soft silver leaves tickled her face like velvet feathers. The sun streamed in tawny rivers down to the padded grove floor, dappling it with shades of bronze and yellow. It was a beautiful day, when with what happened afterwards.

Annabeth's smile slipped as she remembered hearing loud, crashing footsteps in the serene grove. Her chubby-cheeked little sister burst out of the trees. "Hey, Annie!" she yelled happily. Then she'd glanced at Percy and shrieked, running to grab Annabeth's skirt. "He's the enemy!"

Percy apologized quietly and was about to move aside when her sister looked up with wide gray eyes. "Oh, and, Madame Pointy-nose wants you to know that," she put her hands on her fist and assumed a severe tone, "'if you don't get to her soon and stop frolicking outside like a stupidly wild bear cub, she'll spend the whole night making you wear acidic masks and sitting with a board on your back.'" Then the sharp voice was gone, and the little girl was looking at her curiously. "Annie, what is fraw- _licking_?" When with her slight lisp, she pronounced it perfectly, just like any Athena girl should.

But Percy was looking at her with his eyes huge and shiny with fear. "Annabeth—" he whispered. "What? Why-why do you have…"

She closed her eyes painfully and held up a hand. "It's nothing." She forced her voice to become convicting. "My teacher is simply threatening. She won't do any of that. Please don't worry." Her voice grew desperate, and she wondered now if that was an unconscious plea for help.

Percy took her hand, the touch urgent through both of their heavy gloves. "Annabeth," he began again, his face twisted with worry.

She forced herself to slide her hand out of his, and immediately regretted it, as her anxiety and fear began to pummel her harder without his comforting touch. "I'm fine." She realized how fake that sounded, and tried again. "I'm going to be alright. Okay?" Without waiting for an answer, she grabbed her sister's hand, spun around, and strode back to the mansion, murmuring a soft goodbye she knew he'd have heard.

With a different kind of ache, now in her heart, she came back to reality. Annabeth stared at the paper, and then her expression softened when she saw that Percy wrote, "Your sister is very cute. And I don't mind what she said." Of course, that was horribly misspelled, but she ignored that and allowed her lips to twitch up slightly. She knew that Percy was talking about what she'd said about him being the enemy, and completely avoiding what happened about Madame Lark. That was uncharacteristic about him, and Annabeth could almost feel his worry coming off the paper in waves, but he knew better than to prod.

How in the world did this person know her so well? Maybe it was just her excitement about being rebellious for the first time, or all her curiosity about him, but she always found herself opening up to him about everything. And he could, just as easily, read her like a book. Meanwhile, he might've been bashful and sometimes stuttering, but sometimes he'd meet her eyes and laugh about things completely personal to him. And they just clicked in the strangest way possible.

But they were total opposites, really. He cared so much about her, his mom, his friends, and so on. Annabeth's deepest secret was rebuilding the world _her_ way and ruling it by herself. He was gentle, she tried to tough things out. She was a mess, sometimes, and he would be her calm and collected rock, offering a warm cookie or murmuring comforting words. And he was secretly, a complete rebel from society's ways, with his own particular manners and ways, and she was… not. Annabeth tried not to sigh and kept reading.

Once his letter was done describing what he'd recently gone through, and a few comments about what they'd done, he moved onto a more eager tone. "Annabeth, I remember you told me that you didn't do anything Thursday mornings, and free then, too." He'd pressed his ink quill a bit harder on that part, and Annabeth immediately zeroed in, her heart racing. What did that mean? She did know that he had a lot of work, because once she'd passed by a messy office with a half-empty glass of milk on the crowded table, and she knew that only one person in the Poseidon mansion could have such a room. She would've said something, but he was scowling when he looked over the tall stacks of paper on the huge mahogany table. That unnerved her slightly, and she had a sure inkling that his expression had something to do with his blurring letters. But his tone afterward was as cheerful as before. "And it's been so long since we'd last seen, can we meet again? It'll just be a short trip. And we don't have anything. So is my house okay?" She smiled at his childlike grammar.

And then it was a stream of byes and see you soons and some nice sentiments. Finally, he'd sloppily signed his name off, using his nickname and even leaving out "Poseidon." It was simply, "Percy Jackson."

Annabeth grinned, thinking it looked incredible. She was folding the paper again when her fingers brushed against something harder on the back. She flipped it around to find a piece of sketching paper adhered there. There was a roughly sketched flower, simply a dandelion, and not extremely talented-looking either. But it was simple, and his little note on the corner, "Make a wish, and I'll try to get it to come true," made it the prettiest drawing she'd seen so far.

She knew she couldn't hide it in a drawer, and she couldn't bear to just throw it out, so she slipped it up the sleeve of her underclothes. She'd be able to take it out from time to time and look at it until she found a hiding spot in her room.

Then she tucked his letter into the bottom of her small stack of collected letters, knowing that no one would bother to go through that. Lastly, yawning a little, she slipped back into bed.

-line break-

One of the things she would never get used to would be travelling this route, out to the countryside. First, she got to see the urban structures melt into wide, never-ending fields and small wooden farmhouses. Next, she got to sit in the carriage completely differently.

Her gown was little and neat, with only a four-layered petticoat underneath of light, handspun linen. The only lace was a little decorating her collar. Her slippers were plain (as if anyone would dare to let her wear her bejeweled slippers on the dirt road) and her jewelry was just some clear stones and a small gray diamond on one hand. Her hair was just done into a braided bun, all her pins the normal, colorless kind.

This wasn't supposed to be a reflection of what she actually wanted to wear, however, or representative of who she tried to be around Percy. Her maids weren't allowed to divert from dressing her "properly" just because she said so. She was only like this because she was out in the countryside. And because no matter how many rumors were running around, everyone still expected her to get engaged to Luke. Lord Herdwick was considered to be a friend, or something along the lines that she supposedly only visited every three weeks.

But she honestly didn't care why, as long as she no longer had to suffer in a too-tight corset and wear lace up to her chin. The handspun skirts were a little rough against her stockings, and the gloves weren't so silky, and she loved her whole outfit.

Finally, the carriage rolled to a stop in front of the house. The footman wordlessly lifted her chaperone out, and then her. She stepped out and paused in the driveway for a moment, breathing in the fresh, cold air. She knew her older brother and the footman were waiting for her, but she couldn't bear to not stop and drink in the familiar country house. It was made of sturdy, painted wood, with antiquely decorated shutters pulled up on top of the front windows. A peek into the dark glass would reveal brightly colored, stuffed furniture, also from ages ago. It was a quirky style Annabeth would also enjoy. She took one last look before talking her brother's hand and allowing herself to be led to the doorstep. He rang the small brass doorbell, and she heard a faint echo of its cheery ring in her ears. A plump, gray-haired housekeeper opened the door and frowned at them. "Who are you, may I ask?" Her steely eyes ran over their stiff, finely made city clothes.

"Company of Lady Athena," the footman intercepted, stepping into view.

Her face immediately broke into a smile, more and more wrinkles getting pulled out of her tan skin. "Oh! Lady Athena! Yes!" She spun around and called, "William! Lord Poseidon!" Then she clapped her hands to her mouth and turned, blushing.

Annabeth wanted to reassure her that being such frequent guests here meant that she knew that secret, but her brother was in view. Exaggeratedly cocking her head, she raised an eyebrow and asked, "Who?"

The housekeeper flapped her hands nervous. "No one, sorry, I got mixed up." She turned and altered her call, "Master Herdwick! Lady Athena is here!"

Annabeth was worrying over how her extremely intelligent brother couldn't have figured this out already when a dark shape appeared at the top of the worn mahogany stairs. Annabeth caught a tint of a familiar smile under the shadow of that hat, and her worries settled. She could barely feel her heart speeding up in her pleasant peacefulness at knowing he was here.

He ascended the stairs gracefully, one lean hand easily skimming the smooth handle. When he finally stepped down in front of them, Annabeth felt a foreign wish to whip off his hat and start talking to him like she always did. But, no, they had a façade to keep up.

"Lady Athena," he intoned in his cover-up deep voice. It resonated inside her, and she shivered slightly as usual. Percy noticed and gestured to one of the nearby servants, who rushed away. "Hello, Lord Athena." He nodded to her brother. "It is a pleasure to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine," her brother said, right on cue in the staccato behavior rules orchestrated. He bowed lightly.

The servant was back, bearing a fine lambskin cloak. The butler, much more higher-ranking, took it from him and smoothly slid it across Annabeth's shoulders. She looked over at Percy, questioning, but he tilted his head slightly, motioning that she could continue their conversation.

"Lady Athena, I am so very glad you can make it."

Annabeth's manner-trained ear lifted. Was he—this was light, amicable talk between friends! She could barely hide her smile behind her hand as she replied, "Thank you, Lord Herdwick." A neat curtsy. "As am I, to be here. The trip was fine. We saw great views."

"It is good to hear that. Do you want to head upstairs for some refreshments? I have a new shipment of tea, and lots to talk about."

"Yes, that'll be wonderful." She fell into step beside him, the soft swish of her slippers somehow matching with his clicking boots. "And, oh my, a new shipment? From where?"

He glanced in her direction. "Up north, in the colder lands. But this won't be the best-tasting yet. I've heard that the tea leaves that survive the winter taste the best."

"'Tis interesting." She tried to keep her tone neutral, but her mind was whirling. Was this a reference to that afternoon in the Demeter gardens? Where she caught a glimpse of the actual him? Where the faint fragrance of bright fall flowers danced around them like a silk sheet undulating in the wind? "I would love to try some."

He must've seen the glint in her eyes from thinking so much, and leaned down slightly so she could see the teasing smirk on his lips. _That's a yes, then_. His hand slipped into his pocket, and then, so smoothly it was like he did this for a living, he folded something soft and tiny into her hand. Discreetly hiding her palm behind her fan, she peeked into her fist. It was a tiny pansy: two layers of delicate lavender, then indigo petals, with tiny black lines drawn at the center, and then a sun-yellow drop in the middle. A smile tugged uncontrollably at the corner of her lips. She slipped it under her glove, onto the skin of her palm, and luxuriated in the satiny feel. Annabeth glanced up at Perseus from the corner of her eyes and murmured, "Do you have a secret garden in the back?"

He smiled at her. "No," he whispered back, "just a best friend who lives in the Demeter Estate."

She had to bite the inside of her lips by now. "Oh, okay."

In the back of her mind, it occurred to her that to any other viewer, they would've looked like a classic couple. A tall, striking gentleman, his arm firm but careful around hers, and an elegant, made-up Victorian lady, smiling dotingly up at him.

But, of course, that image wasn't to last long with Perseus' sincerely humorous jokes, and Annabeth's stilted manners. They strode to the end of the hallway, and without removing his arm from hers, smoothly slid the door open. The furniture was arranged in the way that they were used to now: their couch facing the window, just slightly tilted so Percy's arm could be seen and no suspicions would be raised. Behind the hard, velvet-covered back, was two armchairs for her chaperone and some distraction that Perseus himself came up with.

He politely stayed in the doorway, holding a hand out for her older brother, his fingers causally turned towards the wingback chair. Her brother nodded, gave a curt smile, and settled in there. He slightly extended his hand, another wordless gesture asking them to continue. They went over to the couch, and Annabeth sank into the worn, sun-bleached cover, releasing a comforted sigh. The maid came in, and behind her, a little girl, who was probably the cook's daughter. She looked suspiciously like the child Annabeth's sister-in-law was expecting.

Annabeth turned to Percy, an eyebrow raised. "What are you planning?" she hissed.

He just grinned as the elderly maid hunched over, pouring their tea. The young girl waved and beamed at Annabeth's brother, who looked surprised and faintly affronted. "Uh, hullo here," he muttered.

"Hi!" She grinned, dimples huge in her cheeks. "What's your name?"

"Um, Marcus Corrington, Athena. Pleased to meet you." He dipped his chin, his pale cheeks flushing slightly in embarrassment and confusion.

"Oh, okay!" She twirled one of her brown pigtails. "I'm Elina!"

Annabeth could barely hold in a laugh as she cast a look at Percy, who looked extremely proud. "Come on, Annabeth, aren't I brilliant?"

She rolled her eyes. "I don't know how that would work—" She was cut off by Perseus taking off his hat. The morning sun caused each strand of hair to gleam like polished ebony, and every ring of jewel color, circling his dark pupils, was lit. He flashed a quick grin at her, oblivious to her gaping, and leaned down to pick up his teacup.

She self-consciously tucked a strand of hair behind her ears and poured a drip of cream into her dark tea before sipping it. "But, seriously," she began once she'd left the charming gold-edged cup on its saucer, "How is this even supposed to work?"

"Elina will probably end up dragging him away to play with her dolls. Come on, Annabeth, she doesn't even have a father."

True, and her brother could probably take some parenting lessons, as stoic as he is. "Alright, fine. Do come up with something normal next time, please."

"I'll do more than that, milady," he said, gesturing with his hat, "I'll decorate this house into a magical fairyland just for you."

She felt a blush creeping up her neck and hurriedly hunched her shoulders. He always had such a tendency to be dramatic. "And where will you get those fairies?" she asked, straightening.

He drummed his fingers on his lap. "Err…by hassling the factory that custom-makes fairies."

Annabeth grinned to herself. "I'm extremely looking forward to my next visit here."

He met her gaze, startled. She swallowed, realizing that both of them somehow knew she wasn't joking. Embarrassed at her obvious display of like, she edged away from him, trying to surreptitiously angle her body towards something else. Behind them, Elina burst into giggles.

Percy couldn't help but crack a smile. As usual, it was unerringly infectious, and Annabeth's own lips curled up.

"How do you smile like that?" He whispered. "So politely, but sincerely?"

She cocked her head. "Sorry, what?"

"You just have your own smile." He looked hesitant to continue, but she gestured for him to go on. "It's almost like the parlor-room hostess smile, but it's kinder. Brighter."

She looked at him strangely. No one had ever praised her smile before. Or ever used those words to describe her. On a deeper, more rational level, she was wondering. She never diverted from the grain, Annabeth always told herself. But now, that seemed almost impossible. She'd danced with the person she'd should've avoided like the plague, and here she was, chatting with him in his sitting room. She'd worn her corset loosely, and chatted impolitely to a whole slew of other high-brow people. And now, even her once-impervious expressions had broken through.

She spotted Perseus studying her with a mix of curiosity and concern, and then the bizarreness of the list she'd just assembled in her head hit her. She let out a small, breathy laugh.

Percy raised an eyebrow. She pushed her hysterics, guilt, and shame away, shaking her head slightly. "It's nothing." She said honestly. "Thank you."

"Oh, um, it's my pleasure. You're welcome." He continued to study her, warmly this time, and suddenly he tilted his head. "Oh, I'm been meaning to ask. How has Calypso been? I know you've been meeting up with her."

She smiled slightly. "Yes, I have. We've been picking more dates for her to have dances, so she can meet everyone, and she's pretty much informed about all the gentlemen of Olympus. Piper's headed off to Paris for a bit because of her mother, so now me and Talia are just taking her down the neighborhoods in carriages and such. Neither of us want to bother with her suitors, which turns out to be quite a few. Silena wanted to commission a hothouse for her, just to keep all of them outside of her bedchamber, but her grounds aren't suited for that."

"I can imagine that. Atlas isn't the type to keep gardens, or anything else flowery. From the few meetings I had with him, he likes running and wrestling." He looked down at his lap. "But Calypso's a nice girl. She'll definitely get more and more suitors."

But he was once courting her, Annabeth knew. Her mind started spinning. Why then, and not now? Or just, simply, why? When she realized there was a hint of jealously creeping at the edge of her mind, she flushed bright red with mortification. Her theorizing stopped in its tracks.

Perseus was either pretending not to notice or he really didn't. "Well, the Season's almost ending. It's been an almost uneventful one, thankfully. Except for what I did at your debut." He grinned sheepishly.

"That was-that's fine." Questions started to burble up in her, ones she'd been harboring for so long. She desperately wanted to ask what caused him to change from that to this, but she kept silent. "Yeah, not too much happened, thankfully. Silena keeps wowing me with stories of the dramatic Seasons she'd had."

His eyes gleamed. "Do tell," he said, leaning closer.

Annabeth stifled a laugh. "Really? You actually want to know?"

He looked offended. "What? I want to be a knowledgeable citizen!"

She bit the inside of her cheek to keep from smirking. "Alright. Well, her sister, Drew, was already bordering on getting engaged to this earl from Spain, or something, when Silena got a calling card from a very handsome Apollo son. She started sending letters back and forth, changing the date, the location. Apollo himself read some of the letters, and then he decided to get involved. In the end, there were five dates in total, the last one where all four of them met up in Hyde Park. Drew pitched a fit and started yelling at Silena, who also slapped the Apollo boy. Silena packed her bags and disappeared to Paris for a while, but Apollo's son managed to track her down and flooded her mailbox. Eventually they met up on some romantic cruise and he apologized, and she returned to London. Then she met and courted five other men."

Percy held up his hand, looking equally pleased and confused. "What? How does so much happen in a few months?"

Annabeth smirked. "I'm not even done. She eventually rejected all of them because they all just wanted her estate, and were often making eyes at her sisters. She actually liked the chef's son, but he left for another home. And so on. Eventually, one day, her carriage broke down in the street while she was about to go shopping, and someone knocked at her door, offering to help her fix it."

"Who?" He asked, his eyes wide.

"Well, it was Beckendorf, of course. He fixed her carriage extremely quickly, apparently he'd carried spare wheels on himself, but Silena had fallen head over heels for him." Annabeth stopped and took a sip of her tea, feeling a little embarrassed at spewing so much information at once.

But Percy was clearly interested. "Really? That's it?"

"Well, Aphrodite immediately spotted her feelings from him, and tried to intervene by shipping handsome gentlemen from all over the world into her home, and Drew was basically falling over herself trying to court them all at once. But you know Silena. She gets determined about some things, and eventually Aphrodite's planning a lavish wedding for them and she has a three-carat diamond on her finger."

He smiled. "Wow. A lot can happen in a few months."

"Thankfully, the Season will soon be over."

Then they both went quiet. They both knew what happened when the Season ended. They started courting a single person, got engaged, and then married. But those people where decidedly from other worlds, ones where the both of them couldn't fit into. They'd always carefully skirted from this, and this time was no different as Percy changed the topic. "Oh, Annabeth, I was riding Blackjack yesterday. You will not believe what he did."

"What?" She smiled, relieved they were on even ground now.

"He tried to throw me off his back just because I nudged his side with my boot."

"Was it dirty?"

"Does that matter?"

"Yes!" She threw up her hands with fake exasperation. "I can't believe you, Percy! I bet you did it really hard, too. Poor Blackjack."

He scoffed in disbelief. "Are you really standing up for my egomaniacal horse? Stop spoiling him or he won't even let a single person ride him."

"He's a great horse. He doesn't deserve that, anyway."

Percy was sputtering now. "You and Blackjack, and all your specialized sugar cubes that he just _loves_ ," he muttered darkly under his breath.

Annabeth couldn't hold in her laugh. It spilled out of her, gangly and loud and the opposite of ladylike. She was letting loose a few snorts before she could compose herself. "You feed him carrots, Percy! And being your horse, he would never touch any leafy greens."

"Oh, and Porkpie's diet is all vitamins?"

"Porkpie isn't mine," she argued, crossing her arms.

"You two fit together well. You rode him perfectly, Annabeth. He suits your pace." His teasing grin slipped, and he looked at her seriously.

A little taken aback at his intense stare, she tried to brush it off. "No, Porkpie rushes around at an impossible speed. I almost flew off the saddle a dozen times."

"No," he shot back, his gaze burning. "You were leaning forward in the saddle, riding him with an ease like you've done it all your life. Like you could run side by side with him." He edged closer to her. "That impossible speed is something that belongs to you."

She swallowed, looked down at her lap. Finally, she got the courage to whisper, "Why are you telling me this?"

His voice, too, was barely audible. His gaze flickered about her face, never meeting her eyes. "Because I hate to see you slowing yourself down."

"I'm—not. I just can't."

He moved even closer, so close she could almost feel the warmth coming off him. "Yes. Annabeth, I'm telling you this because you've never let go of yourself, never actually looked over yourself. Because you don't relish moments where you run, where you become your true, inner self, but you brush them off. And I don't want that."

Her emotions were warring inside of her. She refused to believe that, refused to believe that Percy, who she'd only accepted as a friend a few weeks away could dig up something she hardly understand. And so bluntly, in the middle of this sunny morning. "You don't know what you're saying."

He blinked, slowly. "No, I don't. I have only pieces of you." Golden light, flashing through olive leaves glimmered in her mind. The wide eyes of her sister reflected in Percy's. She flinched into herself, but he kept going, speaking softly. "And I see you bury the most precious ones." His lips moved over words she couldn't hear. She leaned in, so close her arm was pressed against his. He repeated it, moving in himself. "You can fly if you want to, Annabeth."

She shifted backwards, shocked. "What?" she said, her voice almost a hiss. "How?"

New images appeared in her mind. His lonely office, the way his schedule was so packed, and the bronze crest of Poseidon gleaming dully in the dim stable. Shock and numb realization resonated in her. She looked up to see Percy staring out the window, his shoulders lowered. "Don't we both know?" This was completely silent; Annabeth had to read his lips.

An unfeeling ache had spread over her once frenzied emotions, glazed over with denial. She didn't want to hear what he was saying, wanted suddenly to run back over the line into familiar land. Where she tried her hardest to go with the grain, even if that sometimes just didn't work. Frustration boiled over and she leveled a stare at Percy. "Not now," she murmured. "It's too soon." Or, more likely, too late.

He sighed and rested a hand, gently, on her shoulder. Her nerves sparked with excitement and fire, despite of what was happening. "Sorry, Annabeth. We can…"

"Yes." They were further apart now. She glanced up at his profile, catching the glitter of his sea-green eyes. The familiar wind of comfort and peace and longing rushed her. She cleared her throat, and his hand slipped from her shoulder. She missed its warm weight, and didn't even bother to question that. "A new bakery opened on Main Street," she said, her voice summery and conversation, at a normal volume. "They have famous cookies. We should go try them."

He smiled ruefully at her. "You know, my mother used to bake with the chefs in the kitchen, sometimes when my father didn't require her. She makes the best cookies."

"I would like to have one, actually."

"Yes, after we go to that bakery." The old light was returning to his eyes. "But I guarantee you, anything else you taste will be incomparable once you have hers'."

"Perhaps, but my favorites, madeleines, will always hold the throne in my mind. That is unchangeable." A familiar surge of competitiveness rose in her.

"Madeleines?" He flapped his hand. "Not as good."

"Why, because they don't drastically increase your blood sugar?"

"My mother's cookies are healthy!" He planted his hands on his hips, looking a little like a child.

"Unbelievable, as everything else you eat isn't."

Percy narrowed his eyes at her jokingly. "Don't you know how buttery madeleines can get?"

"Don't you know how sugary cookies can get?" She shot back.

"Alright, you aren't worthy of trying them. And you are missing out the verifiable best dessert ever," he said snootily.

"Fine, you've won me over." Honestly, she was just eager to try something baked by the woman who won Poseidon's heart. A lady, out of all things.

But Percy thought it was his brilliant arguing skills and proceeded to flaunt and preen for the next few minutes. Annabeth had to laugh as he wiggled his finger in the air and continued hamming it up. And then her laugh died down as she began to carefully study the way his hair fell down over his tan forehead, how empathetic his gestures were, how his white teeth flashed in the light from how much he was smiling. And then he stared right into her eyes. "What?" he asked, challenging.

Annabeth's heart rate drummed in response to the floods of amusement and, strangely, a stream of contentedness, slipping through her veins. He leaned forward, and then she could hear her pulse roaring in her ears. Almost subconsciously, her mind began to turn, thoughts running on the back of her head. And then she experienced a strange phenomenon where she was only aware of his smile but her thoughts still quietly whispered, apart from her…and then a realization hit her like a brick.

All at once, her thoughts were crashing through her wall of distractedness, and blaring in her mind, as loud as day. She didn't bother to sort through them, only felt a part of her stir and lazily stretch, welcoming this revelation like it had always been lying in wait.

Her breaths shallowed in a mix of panic and awe, and she was so taken up with this that she barely felt Percy's hand on her arm, questioning. Her hands were fisting and releasing her skirt, but she was distanced from her too-slow body.

Finally, when the tide of surprise waned down to a roar, not a scream, she dared to raise her eyes and meet his, feeling no newer emotions that the ones that were already mixing inside her. Only a drip of courage as she held those emerald sea-colored eyes for four seconds…five seconds…six seconds…

Eventually, when he was looking overly concerned and bewildered, and another long-fingered hand was reaching out for her, Annabeth's thoughts managed to run into something slightly coherent.

Still holding his steady gaze, she felt certainty weigh on her as a voice in her mind announced, "I have feelings for Perseus Jackson."

 **Okay, this chapter was weird. Sorry. I didn't have anything planned for this, only that I seriously needed to write a new chapter. Sorry for that, too.**

 **Um, the next one will come soon. Latest time Friday. And I'm hoping it'll be better, but who knows. Inspiration doesn't fall from the sky and my creativity comes either in torrents or in trickles. *shrugs***

 **But thanks, whoever's still sticking with me. You guys are really nice, thanks!**

 **Rocketay: Working on that. Kind of. But it's really cool of you to actually read my A/Ns. I totally will send a really good one, just for you. Yup, it was clear but that was funny.**

 **Guest: YAY! Thanks, that was so hilarious and completely brought a smile to my face.**

 **Rosehunt8: Right…sorry…at least I didn't quit…thanks for encouraging me, though. If I leave for a bit, again, please remind me to get back here.**

 **DemigodSassReaders: Thank you! It's basically the greatest thing ever to read something like that. Thanks for saying it was amazing, even when I felt it was weird. I haven't really kept it up, but I'll work on it. Heh.**


	17. Chapter 17

**Well, a lot of computer problems and slowness and procrastination led to another slow chapter. Argh, sorry. Also, I'm not promising anything quality or long.**

 **Enjoy!**

"Annabeth! Yes, you're here!" The minute Annabeth stepped through the hall, gold-rimmed doorway, a brown blur flew off the embroidered couch and rushed over to her, colliding into her with a cloud of faint foreign perfume and flailing, hug-ready arms.

As soon as they locked around her, her instincts let go and she sank into the familiar embrace, her chin resting against Piper's perfectly smooth forehead and her arms folding easily around Piper's small figure.

And then, just as quickly, she recoiled. Piper's figure felt different. As she pulled back, she gasped and heat rose to her cheeks. Her friend was scantily-to copy what the Imaginary Madame Lark was saying-dressed in only her chemise. No corset, only pale linen underclothes the same color as her shift. To match, her hair was sloppily thrown up on her head, the silky chocolate-colored strands somehow held together by a few pins and mostly cascading down her neck. She didn't escape without some paint (this was the Aphrodite mansion; all the servant girls _adored_ makeup) but her cheeks were a baby bottom flower's pink, not rose red and she only had beeswax to shine her lips.

Piper smirked at her expression. "I look like I just got out of bed, don't I?" She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and Annabeth realized she was a little self-conscious. That was a shock, she thought Piper was the most confident person in London.

"Yes, you do. But still perfectly fine. How'd you get away with this getup?"

Piper smiled, looking normal again. _How does my my opinion matter to her so much?_ Annabeth wondered. "Well, no one's really awake right now, and the rest of my siblings are out this week."

"Oh. So, this beautiful mansion is yours, then?" She gestured to the gold-lacquered chairs and gilt fireplace and the huge rose-tinted glass windows. Piper frowned. "Essentially." She beamed up at Annabeth. "Well, I will need someone to keep me company."

"What about that nice maid you introduced me to before? I think she was called Sue?" They gravitated towards their seats, and Annabeth had to swallow a happy sigh at the velvet-draped cushions.

"Sue is younger than me, so I can't tell her all the gossip that's happening now." She smirked. "Besides, she has a beau."

"Really?' Annabeth leaned in. Lower-class courting systems were always interesting to her. They were clandestine and usually operated under moonlight, but they had so much more freedom on who to pick. Then her mind started tabulating the ratio of parlor gentlemen and servant boys to ladies. She got a chart for an answer. Alas, their family didn't have to do the politics, reputation, money, land, and children dance with one another. They just simply waited until their eye caught on someone, and then they had a ceremony performed. Rather pleasant, indeed.

"Annabeth?" Piper asked impatiently.

"What?" She blinked. "Sorry, I did not hear you."

"More like you were not listening. What were you thinking about?" She tilted her head, her floppy hairdo sliding to the right dangerously.

"Um, nothing." It was her usual answer for whenever the workings of her mind distracted her. Honestly, no one wanted to listen about that.

"Okay, then," Piper said after carefully studying her with pinkish eyes. Annabeth felt a surge of gratitude for a friend that knew her so well. "What do I need to repeat."

"Um…who Sue's beau is."

Piper sighed and folded her hands under her chin, but she was obviously excited to share. "You will not believe this, but it's a cook's son that works with gardening."

Annabeth blinked, mostly at the shock of a seamstress getting such a choice, not at her beau's lifestyle. "Wow. Continue."

Another grin. "Yes. He knows all the right things to put in food, and the basics, but that's it. However, he apparently knows every garden plant in England."

 _Sounds like a son of Demeter_ , Annabeth thought playfully.

"But here's the good part. So, he's not one of ours'. Otherwise one of my sisters would've been eyeing him from Sue's description of him. But once he was invited to our summer palace because ones of our chefs had to spend extra long in France, getting essential oils" she rolled her eyes at this point, "and all kinds of beauty-foods and then figuring out how to pack it on a ship without it sinking. He didn't do too much cooking, since our own chefs are seriously fancy" another eye roll, "and no one eats anything around here. But he helped out with our gardener, and he actually convinced Aphrodite to add some new flowers other than roses and anemones and Adonis flowers. Which is a huge improvement, since those are her greatest loves. And then one day, after mostly small talk and such, Sue collided into him." Her eyes were deep blue, and gleaming. "He was holding an armful of irises, and their petals scattered all over a skirt she was sewing together. She was about to berate him, but it looked beautiful." Her voice grew soft and hushed, and Annabeth's mind subconsciously started painting it out. Sue, with her golden-brown braids flying, a stack of linens in her able arms, blue eyes wide. Her beau, a stocky and tanned boy with ruffled dark hair (her imagination worried her sometimes with its simultaneous creativity), holding a bouquet, proud little irises a vision against his sun-kissed, angular face, looking shocked and braced against this girl. And little petals dancing through the air, coming to a soft stop on the snowy skirt like weary travelers coming home. The purple pieces landed together into a pattern, a figure, something Annabeth was hungrily intrigued with. She zeroed in, her imagination clearing up, and was just about to identify what it was when Piper poked her shoulder. The image flew away like smoke.

"What?" She sputtered, just a little annoyed.

Piper looked crosser. "Stop spacing out on me, Annie! I know that your huge mind only has room for one, but stay with me here!"

"Okay, okay, sorry."

"Want to share what happened then?"

She drummed her fingers on her lap. "Err, I wasn't really—" Piper looked especially impatient now. "What is Sue's beau's name?"

"Markham."

"Right, I was just, um, imagining Sue and Markham."

Piper's perfectly plucked eyebrow went up. "Oh, really? Are you a Jane Austen in the works?"

She sputtered. "No, I don't have too much writing experience. Anyway, come on, is that it?"

"No, no, of course not!" Her hands started gesturing again. "So, they both looked up at each other at the same time, and Sue told me, 'I actually noticed how handsome he is for the firstly time.'" Piper wiggled her eyebrows. That sentiment sounded horribly sweet in Sue's crooked grammar. "And then Markham asked her to meet him on the beach after dinner. They started courting, and you can guess the rest."

Annabeth couldn't fight her smile. "No drama, really?" She asked it hopefully, because it was a rather perfect story.

"Markham never worked inside and my sisters normally ignore their maids, except for their ladies in waiting." They both settled back against the pillows, relishing this tale of light, innocent young love.

"When are they getting married?" She knew her chances of getting invited to this were close to none. In all of her knowledge about serving life- à la _Jane Eyre_ and guessing, servant weddings were rowdy and full of skirt-lifting dances and crashing together wooden mugs. Something she would probably enjoy, or at least she hoped she would, but exclusive to workers only. Standing around in a fine-weave gown and with perfect posture would be a total aberration to the celebration. Still, she wanted to know.

Piper thought for a bit. "Um, that's not entirely decided. There's a scheme going around about getting enough for Markham to buy a plain band for Sue, but they still want to get to know each other. The second-youngest daughter of the cook, she has the brightest green eyes, will be the flower girl."

Annabeth tried not to sigh. This story was just getting prettier and prettier. If only normal society gossip was this nice. Then, of course, old crones and young ladies alike who follow every single possible affair and scandal would lose their only pastime.

Piper leaned over, lightly resting her side against Annabeth's. She smiled over at her and said, "Isn't it just so wonderful? I keep too much tabs on their relationship, but I really hope it'll be successful." She shifted before saying, "So, what about yours'? Annica and Julia?" Her voice was interrupted slightly on "Annica," by a soft _crunch_. She immediately sat up. "What was that?"

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"I hear something crumple. Or fold. Do you have something on you?"

Annabeth patted herself. "I don't think so." She rummaged around in her bag and the couch, hearing soft repeats of that crunch. Finally, she realized it was coming from her arm. She ran a hand down the sleeve until she felt something shrink under the pressure. With a flourish, she tugged out a piece of paper from under her sleeve.

Even through the wrinkles, she could immediately make out what the paper was. Flushing, she darted it out of Piper's grasp and stuffed it unforgivingly into her receptacle.

"What is it?" Piper gasped excitedly.

"Nothing," she muttered. "Really, nothing. Just, uh, random notecards."

Piper glared at her. "What? That's the least likely thing I've heard yet." She stopped, looked at Annabeth pleadingly. "Come on. I've been to Paris for a week and now you're keeping all these things from me."

Annabeth bit her lip, trying to not succumb to her friend's guilt trap. "I swear, it's nothing. Just something random that I accidentally stuck up my sleeve." But of course, guilt was building up inside of her. _Why is it my first instinct to keep things away from her?_ She wondered.

Piper sighed, looking down. "No, I see. You're allowed to have your own personal life. I don't want to intrude on that."

Annabeth looked her over and realized that her friend was being genuine. Her shoulders were sagging, her hairstyle looked bleak instead of rebellious, and her lips were trembling slightly. "Piper, what's wrong?" She set down her teacup and moved over, wrapping an arm tightly around her small frame. "Piper?"

She didn't respond, only continued to stare at the hem of her plain gown.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to keep things from you—I'm being irrationally defensive; I don't know why. Honestly, I haven't really felt like my old self anymore now, and I just didn't want to share all that with you. And that paper… it doesn't matter. Not to you, not to us."

Piper shifted slightly. Her voice was heavy and unreadable. "Of course it does."

"No, I-it doesn't! Look, I'll give it to you if you want but…" she stopped, swallowed. "Is that really it?"

Piper looked at her from the corner of her eyes. Her eyes were a dark, almost-black blue. "What?" Her voice grew quickly from soft to loud.

She looked away. She was getting nervous. "I don't know. I'm really not trying to hide anything from you, but you don't seem like..."

"No, not that." Piper looked her dead in the eye and took a deep breath. "Why are you asking these-no, why are we actually talking about this? The Annabeth I know, that I thought I knew, never talked about emotions."

Shock burned her. Suddenly she had a memory of an afternoon she wanted to forget and remember forever at the same time. She was wearing a peach-colored dress. The sun and shade slanted across his face in stripes. The grass around them was a pale, dying green, but so vivid, too. And he'd raised his hand, long fingers tan against the light sky, almost like it was about to come down with a force, but instead it hovered right above her hair before dropping down. And then he started whispering questions to her.

The reminiscing took almost no time, but long enough for her expression to almost match Piper's. "I don't know. I just am…doing that." She didn't like his questions, and she liked his voice, quite a lot. She didn't like how they were cautious, but determined. She didn't like how they penetrated her and peeled her apart and made her feel vulnerable. She didn't like how she barely knew him but then she did. He didn't ask more than, maybe, three, but it was enough to change her and look at herself differently. So she looked back up at Piper and said, "Somehow I changed a little bit like that. I believe, with some conviction, that I needed to ask you that. But as of now, it doesn't matter what this or that is. Are you alright, Piper?" She leaned in, took her hand.

Piper sighed, looking exasperated and happy at the same time. "Annabeth," she breathed, her eyes sliding shut. "Finally. As a daughter of Aphrodite, I hated to see you like who you were before, not feeling anything, just a slab of sculptured rock. I knew you felt so much, but you didn't dare to show it. I don't know how you're doing it, or why, but I'm grateful." She opened her eyes, and in the light of the dawn, they were ringed in violet every other shade and closed up with pale red. Annabeth caught her breath. "I think I'm alright. I don't know."

And then she sagged back into the couch, her usually perfectly upright back bending slightly, like a single tulip stem growing weak after a long life. "I can't believe I'm confiding in you with all this. Finally. Paris was great. I loved it as much as usual. But then, my mother and her friends ambushed me about marriage. They told me all about Jason, put all these limits and rules on our relationships, and laid out step by step what our future life was supposed to be like. And they applied as much pressure as a few ladies possibly could. They dug up all the important characters in Jason's family line, all the things they did and all Jason was expected to do. I was feeling sympathy for him by then, and then they started naming his accomplishments and putting them next to my name, which looked horribly pitiful and small. They suggested terrible things to improve my title, to make us seem like the fairytale dream wife and husband. And then I broke down." She leaned her head back against a pillow. "I trashed my room. I threw a gown into the Seine. I ran away into the country and spent a whole night in this rundown inn. Everyone just gave up on me when I came back." She sighed heavily.

Annabeth squeezed her hand and was surprised at the comfort it gave her. "That's terrible. And I know for a fact that those ladies thought it was their 'duty.'"

"Yes, they did. And now I've come back to London and things are different." She glanced over at Annabeth.

She didn't say anything back, only sat there quietly. "Sorry, Piper," she said eventually.

And then they both sat in silence, watching the last few wisps of steam float up from their teacups as they cooled.

After another quiet moment, Piper touched her arm. "What was your week like?"

"I talked to Calypso. She's blending in well, not too much. I'm getting more lessons, now I know all about running a household." She kept her voice free of bitterness and started out the window. "Oh, and I visited the new opera in town." She couldn't think of anything else other than two men, and that was a little bit worrying.

"What else?" Piper's tone was lazy, knowing.

She turned on her side, waited. Suddenly, she blurted, "I don't think I'm getting engaged."

Piper sat up, stared at her. "Why not?"

"Luke is…" she stopped, frustrated already. "I don't know. I can't really. We're just, um, we don't really, I feel like, I don't know how to say this!"

"Like you don't know him at all?" Piper asked.

"I guess. Not exactly. Like we're getting… _separated_." She whispered the last word, like it was a secret.

Piper looked at her inscrutably. "That's difficult," she said eventually. "I can't tell you what to do."

"Yes, you can," she tried to argue.

"Maybe, but I won't. Why? When did this start?"

She grabbed the edge of her couch. Was it that day, playing croquet? Or walking along the Thames? No, maybe it was the meeting where she hurt her leg? She shook her head. "I don't know."

"So, you think there might be no engagement all at in the future?" Piper cocked her head, trying to figure her out.

"I don't know." And then she was almost shaking with the effort of holding in two words on her tongue. Four syllables. Twelve letters. One space in the middle.

"I think you do," she said softly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

And then she was inhaling, trying to work up her courage. She tensed and said, "No, I do. This is important to me." Inside her mind, she was soaring across a chasm, still a little bit bended from her crouch that sent her flying. "I think I got a friend during the last two weeks."

Piper raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really? Who? Is this the reason you're…?"

She didn't answer the last part. "It's not—he might not even be my companion." She had no idea how Perseus actually thought of her. She knew what she wished he did, but that didn't mean anything.

Her friend leaned in, sensing that something was happening. A smile tugged at her lips. "Well, that's alright. Who is he?"

She leaned back and turned away slightly, not wanting to see Piper's face when she heard. "Um… Perc-Perseus Jackson."

Piper took in a little intake of breath, shocked and giddy at the same time. "Really? Him? How?"

"I said, I don't know if he's even really my friend."

"Doesn't matter. You're not cursing his name anymore." Then she deftly reached across her for her purse and easily pulled her paper out. Her eyes first found the corner. When she read his name out loud, her eyes were sparkling and she was grinning hugely. Then she studied the picture, and when her light blue eyes found Annabeth's, they were appraising. "Wow. You changed a lot, Beth."

She blushed slightly. "I know. It's not that big of a deal though."

"Not that big of a deal?" Piper exclaimed. "This," she carefully waved the paper, "says the exact opposite. So, tell me, how did this happen?"

Annabeth pursed her lips. The day he apologized to her was one of her most precious memories. She didn't know if she wanted to pass it over. But this was Piper. She desperately wanted to know, and she was the only one who could help her. Besides, she was really somber earlier. So, words spilled out of her mouth. "Low hat", "old William", "hiding behind couches", "laughing hard", "bright eyes", "loud and messy circus", "tiny slice of pie", "careful gloved hands", "Flying Blackjack", and more.

Piper was grinning more and more. She was clutching her skirt in excitement when Annabeth finished, admitting that she liked him in a tiny whisper. When she finished, Piper flew forward and wrapped her in a hug. "I know this was confusing and strange," she said in her ear, "but wasn't it wonderful?"

"Maybe," she said back.

They both started laughing.

When she left for home, she was all smiles, full of pieces of advice Piper had to give, and full of tea and happiness. _I'm so glad she's back_ , she thought, smiling at Piper through her carriage window. She waved one bare hand, and then horses started pulling her away.

-line break-

Annabeth was pouring through a thick book when someone knocked on her door. She opened it to see a cherub-y messenger boy. "Poseidon's estate," he whispered before darting out.

Heart jumping, she took the envelop over to her candle and cracked open the wax. There was a short message inside, messy as usual.

"Are you free tonight? I know you are. Then meet me at 7, in the back of my home. Wear lots of layers and boots. Bring a blanket and an oil lantern. I have something to tell you, and I cannot wait. Percy Jackson."

 **Okay that's it! Bye! I know, worst cliffhanger ever, I try to not write these but it's late and I don't know what else to do.**

 **Um, I loved all your reviews. They were the nicest thing ever. But I can't reply to them now since it's late and I WILL take forever writing that. So, sorry, just wait for the next chapter. Also, I SWEAR that I will post that within next week, Saturday's the minimum. I don't swear stuff easily, so yeah, hopefully you guys won't have to hold your breaths.**

 **Au revoir,**

 **Pride-and-loyalty.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi, I'm finally back. Yeah, I know, I did take my time posting. But I kind of lost inspiration, and did a lot of other stuff, but not this. Sorry. But now I having creativity now. Because, um, I'm literally sitting on my balcony looking at the moon. Yep, I'm an overexaggerated poet at heart with no real poetry skills. Yeah…**

 **But I think you guys will really like this one. I'm been waiting for it quite some time. I don't think it can live up to being recommended (like, what? When did that happen?) but it should hopefully be pretty good. I've got the moon glaring at me to make it.**

 **Enjoy!**

Fifteen years ago, a little girl hopped down the finely cut stone steps of her home, humming and her golden curls bobbing with each step. She smiled a wide, sweet smile, dimples cutting into her cheeks, and her movements were clumsy but light as butterflies.

Waiting outside in her yard were two taller, grinning children, almost unconsciously condescending as they watched her make her way over to them, her hair springing up and down. The taller one, a boy with a shock of pretty sandy hair, held out his hands, crouching down slightly. The little girl toddled her way into the hug, squealing as she was lifted.

The older girl, her dark hair short but falling into her eyes, elbowed his skinny ribs with an equally skinny, but calloused, elbow. "Stop acting like such a dad."

The boy set down the little baby, his smile remaining as bright as usual. "I'm not Annie's daddy," he said, pulling her to his side-or, his leg. "Annie" stared inscrutably at the older girl. "I don't have a dad," she said in an almost-hoarse voice, one that seemed to be normally out of use. "But you and Luke are family."

A smile broke through on the other girl's rugged face. "Yes, yes, we are," she said, her voice softening temporarily. She grabbed Annie's chubby little fist and ran, her boy breeches billowing around her but still staying firm and versatile. Luke chuckled and started after them, keeping his run easy so they wouldn't be outmatched.

Ten years ago, a tall, pertly dressed girl was polished and tied up and herded to a hallway she'd only set foot in a few times. Her nanny gently pushed her into a large, sunny room and shut the door behind her. Desks were set up in rows, facing the front, where a spectacle-sporting old man with short gray hair commandeered a scribbled-on blackboard.

His face lit up slightly. "Are you Annabeth Chase?"

She flinched a little at her middle name. Her mother never liked saying it, her siblings all avoided it. "Yes," she said quietly. "Present."

He hustled over and guided her into a chair in the front row, smiling wide the whole time. "I've heard lots about how smart you are. I can't wait to have you in class."

At first, he did the benign talk: briskly introducing her fellow classmates, her siblings, running through the lessons' summaries. She took the time to examine the classroom. It was filled with impeccable projects, heavy textbooks, and her siblings were all older than her by a few years, some of them sporting glasses too already.

Then the old man knocked on his board and started talking about Euclid. Annabeth sat completely upright, grabbed a stylus, and scribbled on her tablet, grinning widely the whole time.

Eight years ago, Annabeth was taken to a huge dress shop. It was vast, hung with scrolls of cloth, and stern women bearing measuring tapes and pins. The briskness of her mother's walk guided her forward, into a small but elegant room in the back. It was dark, lightly wallpapered, and mirrors stood on every side. In the middle was a little upraised platform. She was guided onto it, and even sterner women flocked to her.

Her favorite shift was tossed away, and every inch of her was measured up and _tsk_ ed over. Her comfy, worn undergarments were replaced by heavily starched linen ones, and then she was wrapped over and over in hard, unforgiving materials with what seemed like rigid pieces of metal holding them together until she felt herself shrinking.

More and more assistants went to her mother, bearing over-decorated strips of cloth, holding them up against her and frowning. The line never ended; the stack of neatly wrapped packages never stopped growing.

She was never offered a shift after that day. Corsets became the new trend for her, just like it had done in society years ago.

Five years ago, a stately, purple-dressed woman strode into her breakfast time, taller and faster than her mother, she seemed. But no, they were on the same side.

Madame Lark spoke with a grating French accent, crisp enough for Annabeth to understand, so she would have no excuses, but thick enough that she sometimes felt dumbfounded, and had to get reprimanded. She'd been learning French already, but she'd been warned to never, ever mix the accents.

But that's what she heard daily, for hours on end, instructing her how to look, how to act, how to dress, how to talk. How to be a lady.

Manners used to come naturally to her, curtsying was just child's play. But this was a new world, a crueler one where she had to limit her every word, memorize entire conversations deemed to be appropriate, get introduced to horrific beauty treatments. She kept a little vial of dark liquid on the antique pianoforte in the corner. It was one of her last resorts, but if Annabeth's pupils did not dilate widely enough before her Season, no man would want her, and she would have to use some belladonna. And then came the aching, almost permanent, from every lesson, every practice, every exercise.

Annabeth suddenly didn't want to learn.

One year ago, the gossip grew more and more fervent. Heavy. Ladies noticed their gentlemen with the eyes not of wishful dreaminess, but of almost predatory claim. They watched them carefully, talked to them as much as they could get away with, gossiped about them every waking hour.

It could get dreary. Annabeth did like talking about Luke, of course, he was so kind and the perfect gentleman. But then the girls started talking about their proposed children, what kind of wedding ring they would get, or simply, oh! The wedding! She didn't want to think about that, not about Luke getting down on one knee in front of her, not him hugging a swaddled baby with her hair and his eyes to his chest, none of that.

Ladies bought new gowns, new jewelry, found better perfumes, went to the opera every day and attended church in even starchier coats. They always gravitated around, darted to one man and then came back squealing to her friends. Got out their fans, fluttered them hard whenever guys were around. A lot of them perfected fan flirting. Tilt to the left, fan twice, meant I'm leaving for the powder room now but I'd like to see you when I get back do wait for me, and so on.

Annabeth dutifully purchased her own fans, but they normally stayed in her purse when she and Luke started talking. It wasn't like she could remember any of the flirting methods either. (Actually, with her spectacular memory that went down to the nine hundredth digit of Pi, she could, but she could barely draw fan patterns from her mind. The only thing she remember was that a quickly closed fan meant, "go away, please.") Luke, to his credit, never expected her to be like that. He was content with her spotless manners and perfect posture.

Their dances together were now fun, because she got more and more with him, and no one would say anything. She was almost becoming a society girl, and that excited her.

Now, everything was different. She was clomping across the countryside in boots, wearing the lightest cotton gown and a heavy shawl, waiting to meet a gentleman she was on the verge of being friends with, the very one that her family despised.

She didn't even spare herself a smile as she crept through the white-painted gate that guarded the Herdwick backyard.

She slowed in front of the steps. Before she could wonder, "Do I wait now?" A match lit dramatically in the night, piercing through the dim moonlight. It floated downwards, and one by one, lighted three candles. They released their flowery scents with a breathy gust.

The candles stood in front of a man, and illuminated him well. He grinned at Annabeth, his teeth glowing ivory. Pushing his hat up, his sea-green eyes sparkled, as bright as fire. With four wide, confident steps, he came to her.

"Annabeth," he breathed in a whisper. "You came."

She nodded, keeping her eyes on his. "Yes."

He took a miniscule step closer. She followed him. Separating their chests were a tiny sliver of atoms. To look up at him, her chin almost touched his breastbone.

"Hello," she said softly. "Fair night, isn't it?"

"Yes, fair indeed." His voice was nothing more than a whisper, but she heard it well.

"What do you need to tell me?"

He turned his jaw slightly, his eyes glittering like sun dancing on water. "Do you have everything?"

Her voice raised, turned monotone. "Heavy, warm clothes. Boots. Blankets. Oil lanterns. Yes, complete."

His eyes warmed, changing color with the candlelight. "Good. List something else, please?"

Annabeth's hand lifted, twirling in the air as she said, "Dark night. Crescent moon. Candles. You, Percy."

"Yes, complete," he said back.

She leaned back, allowed her expression some seriousness. "What do you need to tell me?" She repeated.

He smiled. "Did you come here out of curiosity?"

"Don't answer my questions with more questions, even if they're rhetorical."

"Fine." He grinned. "Wait for me."

"Of course," died on her lips as he loped back to his house, clambering onto the back porch. Puffing his cheeks, he blew out the candles one by one. Now, she could only faintly make out his shape and a small gleam in his eyes. "Follow me," he said as he bypassed her to the fence, holding it open.

They trekked out into the harvested field, taking an already worn path. He wore black boots, too, but his steps were heavier and more careless.

He stopped, stepped to the side all of a sudden. Annabeth came over to him and breathed out an excited, amused laugh. A little rough canvas blanket was set out, rimmed by a few oil lanterns. It didn't do much to illuminate, but it was good enough.

"Come on," he said, pointing to it. Annabeth sat down first, smoothing her skirts out, and he settled in beside her. From the foot of the tarp he produced two gray lumps.

"What?" she said, tilting her head questioningly. "Food? No, wait, it's heavy solids. Cases? Stones—"

"Calm down," he said, holding up a hand. He set them up her feet, and then one by his.

Heat spread up her body immediately, and more waves warmed her ankles. "Coal, wrapped up in burlap. Ah."

"You were close," Percy said, settling back next to her.

"Yes, I was." She smiled, tucking her blanket around her and setting her lamp next to her arm.

Percy draped another blanket over them, both of them. He was producing quite a lot of things out of the dark. He then straightened it, so there was no cloth falling into the canyon between their forearms. They both looked forward for a second, silent.

Then she leaned in, but careful not too much. "So? What do you want to tell me?"

He held up a finger, raised an amused eyebrow.

Pursing her lips in annoyance, she fell back. After resettling and shifting around on a pillow he'd given her, she had to ask something. "Why here, then? On a winter night? Why not by a fireplace?"

"Trees," he whispered, smiling.

"Oh." She felt guilty for not thinking of that. "Of course." She sensed an "and" coming up and gestured for him to continue.

"Ssh," he whispered, and tilted his head back.

She did, and felt her breath slip out of her. The night sky was brimming with stars. Thousands of millions of billions of infinity stars up above her. So bright and so dark at the same time, they blinked and glimmered and twinkled and sparkled, like, like, stars.

She almost ached at this beauty. How could she have missed this all her life in the polluted London days? But no pain or regret came with that. Only more awe, punctuated by her icy breaths, more amazement, more flooding, delicate hope. It was irrational, she knew, and maybe it had to do with Percy beside her, or this unperceivable universe unfurling in front of her, but it was there and it was standing there firmly.

They remained silent for a long, long time. Until slowly, deliberately, Percy raised a gloved hand and traced a small portion of sky. Annabeth squinted at her. "Perseus?" she asked quietly, certainly.

He nodded, set his hand down. She knew it was her turn, even without them speaking.

She picked out three brilliant pinpricks of light.

"Orion's belt," he whispered with a laugh in his voice.

He traced Ursa Minor and Major. She followed with Taurus. He found Hercules. And so on, stretching their astronomical knowledge to the limit, finding their own shapes in this unmappable new world.

Finally, both their hands had rested, after picking out Polaris. They knew they could never get lost with that, wouldn't need more than True North.

"Thank you," she said. "This was…" she didn't have to elaborate.

"Are you going to ask what I'm going to tell you?"

She felt him glancing at her from the corner of his eye, but she kept looking up. "I know you will. Proceed."

He swallowed, went silent for a few minutes. Then he said quietly, "Did your Mother pick you to go to the Olympus gala?"

"That's rhetorical, isn't it?"

"Did she also pick your teacher? Madame Lark?" His voice grew harder for the last part.

"Percy," she said, a weak warning. One that wouldn't get him to stop, maybe didn't even ask for that.

"Or is she enough?"

She sank her head into a pillow, set her eyes upon silver light. "All rhetorical."

"I don't want her to have this control over you." He sat up, twisted his body to look at her. "I don't want her to have this control and be so wise but use it so wrongly."

"Wisdom is more than that." The words barely slipped out of her lips.

"What?" He seemed near to exploding. "Wisdom in its very basis is knowing how to treat others. You know that, don't you? You know everything else."

She tried a bleak question, tried to push him back. "How do you know this? Why are you getting involved?"

He quieted. "I can tell. I've visited you enough times. Even in a low hat."

She focused on the dim, orangey light of the gas lanterns. "I don't think you do."

Frustration twisted his words. "I'm sorry I'm not as smart as you. But I know this."

"I never said—You're—" the breath and words ran from her as shock gathered inside her, forgetting his last statement entirely. Did she ever think like that? How did she make him think that? What was this?

"You don't talk about it, of course not."

"No, it's—never mind. I don't want to talk about this. So, I don't."

"Don't you need to? Haven't you been holding it inside long enough?"

"Maybe not."

"Maybe yes. I know your mother mistreats you, doesn't give you your worth." He paused, let that hang temporarily in the night air. "You can say it aloud if you wanted to."

"What's the point?"

"You can do something about it, anything, as long as it's not only within you."

"I can't. Do anything." Defeat bore down on her, heavier than anything she could imagine. She never gave up before.

"Yes, you can." His words came out faster, more emotional. Did-did she see a tear in his eye through the lantern light?

"What, then?" she resumed whispering.

He shook himself, but the tears kept pooling. "This." And then he was nearer, and there was little to no gap between them, and his shoulders tentatively leaned forward and touched hers. She didn't move. Percy pressed forward, his arms wrapping around her back. He held her carefully, gently, but pressed her against him.

Her chin fell onto his shoulder, his broad shoulder that cut into any background, as easily as it was always there for her. Her sadness didn't leave, and her defeat only lessened infinitesimally. But something new came with this embrace. She didn't know what it was, but she somehow felt better with it.

"Do you want to release anything right now?" He whispered in her ear, and she shivered slightly. Once he was down tucking the blanket around her, she nodded into his shoulder.

But she still paused. Part of her hated how he managed to tear her down so easily, part of her was scared at where they were now, and part of her was unimaginably happy about having someone who saw through her and understood her. Annabeth pushed aside all those parts and said softly, "I never had a father. He stopped being mine as soon as I was two. He married a new wife, and they immediately got a set of healthy boy twins."

"And you remembered all of that while you were two, right?"

"Of course." She stopped, reshuffled her thoughts. "And then my mother was sometimes there, but not really. And when she was there, she never showed anything. Never said anything compassionate or adoring, or even motherly. Always came with a set of orders, of expectations."

His arms tightened around her imperceptibly. She still had enough room to slip out if she wanted to, but she didn't. "But her presence was always there. Always looming, so I could never say I didn't have a mother.

"I tried so hard to be a lady. Past tense, you'll notice. I understood propriety as well as anything, I loved being able to dress up and talk with adults. And it was expected of me, so I performed." She pulled back a little, looked up at the stars. They glimmered distantly, didn't answer to her. Before all her courage could slip out into the chilly night, she said in a rush, "Iwasn'tenough."

Percy understood her mumbling as well as her presentative speech, and pulled her back into his arms. Finally, he said something. "Don't measure your worth by someone who doesn't know you, hasn't taken a chance to know you."

"She's the smartest woman alive. Maybe even human."

"She still doesn't know you."

"Then who?"

He stopped. To his credit, he didn't say himself. "Actually, no, I was wrong. Annabeth, you shouldn't measure yourself with anyone. In fact, you don't need to. You're equally clever. You should know exactly how much you matter."

Then, what? Nothing? Annabeth's expression twisted with bitterness, and she gently extracted herself from Percy, laid down. She looked up at the stars, but not really seeing, as her mind started whirling. If her mother was so smart, but didn't know her, how could _she_ be able to measure herself? When lacking this, what else should she do except to turn to others, and then compare them easily? Jason was more responsible, gifted with natural leadership skills that anyone could see, Piper was cheerier, stronger, much more capable with emotions, Calypso was so talented, so unique, Thalia was so much fiercer, and even Luke was more caring, more polite. And then, of course, Athena was smarter. She fell at the end of everything.

Percy had said, "You don't need to." What else did she get to do? How did she know her own worth, anyway?

No, she did. She knew wasn't worth much, wouldn't ever be able to contribute anything good to anyone.

With this sentiment came a pall of doubt, from the ever detached and rational part of her. Were these thoughts coming from, as Percy just pulled out of her, getting "mistreated"? Or were they because of what everyone claimed she had-extreme humility? No, no, not that. She was born as an Athena daughter, and that came with an almost unhealthy supply of pride. It was something she'd grown used to, but now, thinking back on it, shame grew on her.

Whenever servant boys or maids came into her room, even if to pour tea, she never greeted them. Annica and Julia and such were good companions, but she never really viewed them as friends. When mortals, or even her relatives, bumbled with their English or their knowledge, she would always internally shake her head, just because they weren't raised like her or injected with her automatic learning genes.

Was this pure irony? She wondered. One second, thinking I'm worthless, and then thinking I'm so clever, and then being ashamed of thinking that. Annabeth turned from the sky. It was too overwhelming for her to look at.

And then, the last turn on this dizzying ride, she realized one last problem. The whole reason she just said all that about her own worthlessness was definitely affected by the people around her. By how they treated her. By how they ingrained her with a heady sense of insecurity. And that, itself, was a thing of pride.

Thoroughly shaken by all her mental revelations, she turned to Percy. "I can't believe myself," she said quietly.

"I can't either," he said, gazing at her with soft adoration in his eyes.

"Well, what now? Seriously."

He scooted closer to her. "Just stop thinking like that. Push yourself to be different, every single day. And whatever else you come up with, change it too."

She tried to envision it. Herself, struggling with humility and pride. Eventually establishing a spot for herself somewhere in the middle, where she stopped calling herself higher than anyone else, nor lower. Where she really tried to meet everyone as their equal. "That-that's impossible."

"No, it's not. Why do you think that?"

"No one else is like that, I'm not supposed to be—different." She looked up, into his eyes, searching for closure.

"Annabeth," his voice was soft, "You and I, we were meant to be different."

"Really?"

"Yes."

And then fantasy stole her away, into another different world, where she would turn away when Madame Lark asked her to straighten her spine more, when an old rich man asked her to dance, and when Athena told her the date for her next dress fitting. So many more dances behind couches, laughing with Percy. Smiling at all the servants, treating Annica like a real friend.

It sounded wonderful.

"Thank you for tonight," she whispered to him, leaning over.

He smiled back. "It was my pleasure, Annabeth."

With the moon and the stars shining on him, his hair was highlighted silver and gray in some parts, and blended into the night with some others. His eyes glowed like a calm ocean at morning, lulling her to peace.

"Don't I get something to ask you back?" she teased, for the first time not actually having thought of something.

"Of course." He gestured. "Anything."

Under the heat of his gaze, suddenly all the questions she'd ever been harboring about him bubbled up. It was hard to sort through them, hard to determine which ones deserved to be asked and which ones were too embarrassing to share. Finally, steadily holding his gaze, she took a deep breath and asked, "Why did you decided to take on the alias of 'William Herdwick'?"

He stared at her for some time, then swallowed heavily and looked away. "I didn't want to treat you like I used to anymore."

"Why?" she whispered, trying to encourage him to go on.

"I got to understand you, got to see how you were different, and got to see how you really felt. Then I realized I had to stop. Change…started with you, even though it was the most nerve-wracking and scary thing." He kept avoiding her eyes, so she settled back and listened.

"So, you apologized to me."

He nodded, almost bashfully.

"But why did you have to?"

He stopped talking for some time. "I don't know Annabeth. I was just used to acting like that. I was a gentleman, but a rich, powerful one. I was supposed to use that to my advantage. That was how I was supposed to act."

"Or was that just what you were told, so you could live up to your family?"

He glanced sparsely over at her. "You're smart, Annabeth."

"You figured me out, too."

They stopped talking, content with each other's answers for now. They watched stars moving above, constellations rising and dipping. She listened to Percy breath, watched the oil lanterns waver. She heard the stillness of a winter night, and the heartbeat of someone who'd released the heaviest weight she'd been carrying around. Annabeth felt the contentment of two people who finally matched up with one another.

Percy's hand moved nearer to hers, and her skin tingled as the blanket rustled. She shifted hers a midge too. The sides of their palms met in the middle.

Then, carefully, deliberately, experiencedly, his hand slid under hers. He had a heavy leather glove on, and she had a cotton one, but his warmth was still there. Her nerves jumped as he hooked his thumb in the space on her hand. Her heart was racing, racing so fast the thumps blurred into each other, as the rest of his fingers slid into hers. She chanced a glance at him, then looked back up at the stars. They seemed sharper, more vivid somehow.

It was a long time that they lay there, hands entwined, when Annabeth whispered, "Forget all of the other influences. Let's both be different."

He didn't answer, only continued holding on. Then, in one smooth motion, the blankets and his coat swishing, he turned and leaned over her.

His face was dark, the sides an orangey-brown from the lanterns, and his eyes glowing bright, so bright she almost couldn't see the stars. He paused, and when she didn't shake her head or move away, he leaned closer, until their chests were almost on top of each other.

"Do you promise that we'll both change?"

She nodded. His eyes burned more intensely. "Yes," she said aloud.

He inclined his head pleadingly.

"Yes, I promise we'll both change," she amended, grinning up at him.

"Good," he breathed, tensing as if he wanted to settle back down.

She held up her other hand. Wait. "Can you promise me something else?"

He raised a midnight-colored eyebrow.

She leaned in, so close until his face slipped from her vision, until she could only see his sea-green eyes, until their breaths intertwined and grew warmer together.

He was quiet for a few moments, for two heartbeats. His eyes dropped from hers, roamed across her face, finally returned to hers. "Yes," he whispered, his breath grazing her lips, his skin almost touching her skin.

Her eyes slid shut, and two sea-hued pupils disappeared from her vision, but she knew that in the dark that came, he was there too. She didn't pause. Annabeth leaned in, and her lips touched his.

 **Oh my gosh that was so INCREDIBLE I wish I could be there and watch them like a creepy person… oh dear did I ruin it? Actually, I suspect some of you might agree with me. Heh.**

 **Thank you for still being there, whoever is reading this. I'm sorry, I never update, but was this worth it? Okay, no, I was gone for** _ **way too long**_ **. But yeah, I have to really thank some of you devoted readers. You guys are great. So are the new people, I still can't believe so many of you decided to click on the link.**

 **Oh, btw, this isn't the last chapter. I know, it sounds like an 'acknowledgements.' I'm just grateful. And I don't really have that much else to talk about *cough*. If you're thinking, what else could happen, I have a few things up my sleeves. But yeah, this'll be done soon.**

 **Chapter 16 reviewers:**

 **FantasyQueen2509: Haha yes you're hilarious! I know, that's funny, but also annoying, because my friends can be seriously creepy about some things and I've called them crazy for that like a million times. Yeah, I know it took me so long sorryyyyyyyyy. I won't make you guys wait, and due to some strange, deep, deep inner resilience or obligation to you guys, I won't quit. I don't understand why. I wasn't facing writer's block, not really, I just didn't really feel like writing. Thank you, though! I hope you don't find my million IMs annoying.**

 **Rocketay: Yes! Thank you, I adore fluff too and I just love writing it. You're welcome!**

 **Asphren: Wow, I love reading those. Thank you so much! I didn't really like that chapter, and I'm not sure if I really kept up any quality here, but I hope you still liked it. Thank you!**

 **DecemberRome: First off, I love your name! And I can't believe you binged this but wow. Thanks. Your review was really nice and professional, so thank you. I don't usually get stuff this descriptive and I really liked it. I really liked how you said you got close to my characters, because I didn't really feel like I did that, and how you said the setting changed them, because I was trying to make them "normal" for that kind of society by not too OOC, so thanks! I totally got what you meant, by the way, and I'm so happy to see how much you liked this! I hope this chapter is good for you.**

 **DemigodSassReaders: Oh, you're welcome, I hoped you guys would like that. Thank you so much for saying it was good, I seriously didn't really like it, but you are so nice! Thank you again! Here are the next two chapters!**

 **Girlinthebasement: Hi! Wow, thank you! Sorry, I made you wait, but at least it's here now.**

 **Aphrodite: I really, really like your name. Seriously. I think she might be my grandmother. Anyway, that was really nice to read, thank you! I was pretty much saying that too as I wrote it.**

 **Chapter 17**

 **FantasyQueen2509: Hi! Wow, I can't believe you've reviewed for basically ever chapter! And I can't believe you liked this so much and actually picked the last one because seriously, it wasn't that good. Yeah, you were talking about Piper grilling Annabeth and I was like, actually, I might as well do that so there was it. It didn't make it as gossipy as I'm sure you would have wanted it, and honestly, I'm wishing I did, but whatever, the past is in the past. Thank you so much for the last part, I think I almost gave up on Chapter 3 too, but luckily, I'm still here. Trust me, I gave up on most of my other stories, it's just that I know that somebody's reading this and I don't want to disappoint them.**


	19. Chapter 19

Wow. Okay. It's been some time. I actually have a real excuse: I had a big competition last week. Yeah, okay, I know you guys don't appreciate my excuses. But I did have a technological problem. It's my dear friend piggyhero who's helping with this. By the way, she's sending out a Tratie fanfic series soon (I hope) so you guys better check it out.

Last excuse. I don't really like this chapter. So it might not turn out very good. Sorry.

Enjoy!

If this really was one of those florid, over-exuberant romance novels, she knew she'd be in a low-cut, overly-brocaded gowns with a parasol-like skirt and waist narrowed to no end. She'd be in those back gardens of mansions, in a cobblestone clearing with a rose arch to the side, and perched on one of those slick marble benches in a circle of manicured grass. Or, if the novelist was particularly torrid, lying in the cool, undisturbed dirt, hair spread out behind her, with the gentleman above her. But she preferred the bench.

Then the gentleman would still be right over her, his body curved around to face hers, because any self-respecting lady wouldn't turn on a bench, but sit facing forward. Otherwise their glamorous skirts wouldn't spread out nicely. The gentleman's wide back would hide both of them, adding to the giddiness of the scandal. Perhaps, if the female character was smart enough to realize this, she could giggle into her fan. His face would be close to hers, their eyes both downcast, and he'd be talking. Whispering, intimately. His breath would kiss her lips, her cheeks. She'd shiver in the night, her pale shoulders so bright they were almost like moonlight.

He might swoop in a kiss then. Or maybe he'd retreat when the time for them to part was up, and bow low, kissing her gloved hand, casting her longing looks as he was brought to his carriage. But one was guaranteed, eventually.

With a ready-to-be engaged pair like them, it would be hardly breaking the rules to kiss on the first outing. Not that he couldn't sneak in a kiss later on, when they were engaged, but by then they might've been holding each other's wrists, bare wrists, or laughing into the skin of each other's necks, or even being out at night together.

This novel was getting long. She'd been planning too much for this fictional girl that stopped having any relation to her, and this man that she'd developed nothing for, beforehand, and certainty didn't know her.

She decided to focus her attention on the real man on her left. On his relaxed, sculptured figure, leaning delicately on the metal rail, hands clasped unthinkingly on the top. Watching the bright horizon.

Just as her eyes traced the angular profile of his face, he turned. His sea-colored eyes found hers. Deep, dark, mysterious, untraceable. "Annabeth," he breathed, and it was like a ray of sunlight broke through a clouded sky, getting reflected over and over in the waves, getting torn up into shards of light. How familiarity between them connected them she didn't know. Well, she could figure it out, but staring into Percy's eyes, she knew that she didn't have to know everything. She'd found that out already, looking at how Percy clearly didn't know everything, but he knew just the perfect mishmash bits of everything, and it was enough.

"Yes?" he asked, softly.

"Nothing. Thank you."

He put his gloved hand on hers. It was warm, heavy. Heavy with more than the weight of the sinews and tendons and muscles on his hand. They'd been different, oh, they have been. Annabeth greeted every servant she saw like a friend, like an equal. She never looked down her nose at anyone. When incriminating feelings towards herself burbled up, she pushed them down, looked elsewhere. She also pushed the rules that once guided her every breath. She never wore the corset unless she had to, relaxed her posture all the time, threw away her bland manners for almost every conversation. Annabeth was cheery and sincere instead. A few people told her they liked it. It was hard, and sometimes she had to listen to Athena lecture her, and she could also do absolutely nothing about Madame Lark's lessons. So, she gritted her teeth and told herself she could get through it. And she did.

Percy didn't say too much, but he did say that he stopped letting his father's ways impact him. That he forgot the pressure as best as possible, and did his work dutifully, but without really taking up the expectations with it. That he changed his behavior with people entirely, and they got to know the real him, even if he had to do it on the dance floor, not behind a couch. Annabeth was banned from any dances with him after that particular episode, but she'd heard plenty from friends.

But there were many things they wondered, still didn't dare say aloud. Could barely understand. Like, for example, bare skin. If they really touched hand-to-hand, it would break rules. But then would they be doing it only for rebelliousness? It was difficult to say. But they shouldn't listen to something as simple as that, right? It would become special to them, tainted or not. But that opened another door: where were they? Now that they were one of those forbidden, scandalous in-the-dark romances, as much as Annabeth hated to think of it that way, there was no way to think of who they were. Were they close enough to be thinking of that something that wasn't even that big of deal? Or were they just in the beginning?

She sighed. Overthinking everything was becoming her most useless talent.

Percy eyed her. "What? Tell me."

"Well, the future, I suppose. For us." Not exactly, but if they sorted that out, it would answer questions.

They'd discussed this a bit already. By a lake, watching the reeds bend and the water rushing merrily. He told her this, between them, wasn't going to stop anytime soon.

His focused stare on her made her blink back into the present. "We don't know, do we?"

"I can't provide the answers, Annabeth."

She traced the even rail. It guarded a small square of flat wood on the sloping ceiling. Just a tiny spot, almost like a waste of materials. It was called a widow's walk. Wives, alone, would trace this spot with their pacing footsteps, watching, waiting, for their husbands to emerge from the surf, from the horizon, from the sun, flaming behind them.

If she had to guess, Percy installed it on this house on a haunch. It saddened her to think of it being used before, and the entire purpose itself. It made her even more melancholy to be standing here with her—well, her Percy.

"I guess I'd… forget any engagement with Rachel, or whoever. I'd only choose you." He took her face in his hands delicately.

She stared up at him. "And I'll shake off all these regulations. For you."

He brought his face close to hers. His lips were near her cheek, both their eyes were adverted away in thought. He swallowed, moistened his lips, cleared his throat.

She stood stock-still, waiting. She could bet everything on what he was going to say. They both knew it. But they had to hear it. And she was so, so scared of hearing it aloud, of hearing those syllables escaping into the air. Because then the mere idea escapes into a thought, something to be considered. She barely dared to realize that. Annabeth was almost trembling underneath his chest.

Percy was silent for a long time.

Then she reached up, touched his arm. Trailed her fingers down lightly. It became some strange sign they both knew, somehow, by touch. Courage.

She swallowed, looked up at the sky. It was a soft, fading, darkening blue. Tears were almost at the corner of her eyes. Because she knew what this would mean.

Percy swallowed too. His moving Adam's apple was in front of Annabeth's chin. "Then it's…"

She took a step forward. So they were chest to chest. He gently moved his mouth to her ear. She pressed in, and there it was. His heartbeat. Thrumming, beating, jumping into her chest. Hers, just as fast, was resonating in him.

Finally. One released breath.

"Marriage."

She relaxed, almost dropped down. His arms went to her elbows. Then he stopped holding her upright. They were just holding each other.

Annabeth waited and picked her words carefully. Then she whispered in his ear, "I can't wait."

-line break-

"Mother." She knocked on the door. That same, stately, olive-carved door. So elegant, so off-putting, so lofty.

Servants in the hallway turned to gawk at her openly. The same well-trained ones, just copycats of the ones in the Palace. They were stopping their work to stare.

She smiled at them quickly, then turned to the door. Listening.

"Come in." That firm, even, still voice.

The servants nodded back at her and disappeared like a flurry, like sheets of paper getting blown into the sky.

She grasped the doorknob unsteadily, then stopped and calmed herself. Then she turned it open and stepped inside.

Athena was as ageless as ever. And so beautiful, like a portrait.

Dark hair, in a smooth, silken bun, pinned and done up with sculpted curls. A smooth porcelain face. Unmarred by a single wrinkle. Red, curved, heart-shaped lips.

Sharp angles, everywhere. Sloping cheekbones. Ridge nose. Fingers, delicate, elegant, beautiful, thin and sharp. Collarbones, like two pale spears lined up. Her whole figure, just a spine and rib cage and hip bone, all edged and padded lightly by cloth.

It still frightened Annabeth. She took a seat, ever so cautious, and realizing she unintentionally didn't wait for her mother to say, "Sit down."

"Good afternoon, Annabeth." Her voice was cool, like small ripples across a calm glass-like pond.

"'Tis good afternoon. Mother." She folded her hands and tried to look at peace.

"What would you like to inquiry about? Or is it to inform me?" Her angled face shifted slightly, adapted into a tinge of irony. Oh, of course, because Athena couldn't be informed by anything. And certainly not by Annabeth.

Her throat felt closed up and bitter. "Not quite, Mother. It's just—"

Her feet got a mind of themselves and stood her up. "I have a lot to say. I really hope you listen."

Athena leaned back slightly. She looked fully amused.

"Why do you treat me like this? Who am I to you, Mother?" Her voice sprang up in volume. Suddenly it was dipping and lifting, riding on the waves of her pouring emotions. She couldn't keep it in. "What am I to you? I may call you mother, but I am never daughter to you. I know you hate guesswork. I know it is sloppy. But I shall still estimate that you just use me!" Her voice rose, almost broke. She closed her eyes, made herself continue. "All these rules, all these expectations, no one is natural at them! And that means we will make mistakes. So, forgive us if we do. Don't push us until we can't keep going. Still, no one deserves them. I cannot fit in them, at all. They suppress whoever I am finding myself out to be. I wasn't designed to be a dull doll, engineered to nod at the right points, curtsy at others. No one was. We were not born like this. We all have true selves, and this is not it. So stop pushing them onto us.

"I can't take them, I'll admit. I know other ladies, ones you dream will be your daughters, can. They love it, they live it. But this will still break them! In ways, inside, that you'll never see. And you might say that's not important, but it is! What happens to the heart is as important as what happens to the brain. And, yes, none of them speak up. They take it to their grave. But as we are here, they matter. It will hurt us all, the best of us, following this mundane string of rules that brings us to nothing, nowhere.

"And worse! The way you are specially treating me. I am your flesh and blood. Your DNA is a copy of mine. Your body has given part of it away, for me. Your mind is the reason I am here, and mine is based on yours. As unlikely as it is. This still doesn't mean anything to you, I know. You have many more offspring. And I am in no position to ask you of anything. So, I supposed I will inform you of something. The pressure, the expectation, the whole way of teaching has not benefitted me. It has made me stumble. And hurt. I cannot bear it, because it was wearied me. My only strength comes from saying this: remove it from all of us. I can break free now, but if you just move it to one person after another, it doesn't change anything. I can't convince you. But I will tell you it has belittled me, made me feel small, like I don't have a mother or a guardian or a protector. That I don't have anyone in your position, in your spot. That when I think back about you, you will just be a blank, empty cement wall. I don't want that, and I know you don't."

Sucking in a breath, she sat down. She studied Athena. Her eyes were a mess of indiscernible emotions. Annabeth hoped she spotted shock, or anything of the type, but it wasn't scrutable. She cleared her throat. "It's just that, Mother, I still respect you. You're a great woman, independent, wise. And also because you're my mother, I know it is my responsibility to do such. In all that you have caused me to learn, I know I can hang onto that. And I want to honor you. But if you command me to do things that will not benefit me, only slowly crush me and everyone around me, I cannot accept. I will not. I apologize."

She tried to look into Athena's eyes, and settled for looking in that direction. "Mother, I don't have much else to say. I won't apologize for this, but over time, I've done exactly the opposite of what you said, and went with the enemy. I didn't mean to, but it happened, regardless of you. Percy is now… close to me. We will leave London soon. I will stay safe, if you're ever wondering. And, well, if you ever want to, I don't know, find me just remember we think alike." The last sentence came out in a rush. She continued that by standing, curtsying, and backing away in a hurry.

But she made herself stop right by the door and look back at Athena. Right into her eyes. They were still dark gray, cold. But softer, a bit. Mostly by the shock, but also by a hint of sadness. She recognized it. The sadness of not being able to express things.

Athena opened her mouth. She said slowly, carefully, "I did not raise you for this. I didn't expect this. You said a lot. You've changed, Annabeth." She paused. "Farewell. Daughter."

Annabeth curtsied one last time. "And you, Mother." She lowered her head, and disappeared out the door.

Outside, in the hallway, she only took two steps before crumpling to the floor. She took a deep breath. It didn't steady her. Her eyes were blurring fast. She felt something breaking inside.

She was barely aware of her surroundings, but she felt servants move around her, stop, surround her, touch her in worry.

Annabeth sucked in another deep breath and looked up at them. "I'm fine."

Annica stared at her. "Really, miss?"

She must've noticed the tremble in her voice. "Really. Or at least, soon."

"Do I need to find Lord Herdwick?" someone asked.

She fought her smile. "No, no, I'm alright." She struggled to get upright, because her legs were bent beneath her in awkward positions. Arms found hers easily and pulled her up.

"Thank you," she told them.

They smiled, nodded at her warmly.

"How was that?" Julia whispered softly.

She looked off at nothing. "I don't know. Fine, I think." Then she shook herself. She was not describing that conversation so blandly. "Hard, but Mother and I are… stable."

The servants gave her matching expressions of shock and dubiousness.

"But are you alright?" Julia reached for her hand.

"Yes, I really am alright. Thank you all." She squeezed Julia's hand, and walked with them to her room.

-line break-

Annabeth never really liked confrontations. But she knew that leaving with millions of loose strings flying behind her was worse than summoning up her small reservoir of courage and facing all the people she didn't dare to talk with.

So, she had to talk around the neighborhood until message reached Luke that she would like a call from him. That was just the complicated rule that society dictated: no lady should be heading to a gentleman's house, so they should be the ones receiving the calls. She didn't know how it was so easy for her to nod to her superiors and jump into a carriage heading to the Herdwick house. Truly, she didn't likely misleading them; she wanted to walk around and do this openly. But she never thought too much about following him, somehow. She knew it was safe-she had a chaperone, and she knew, somehow, a chance was worth taking when she found something so rare.

The overly poetic words nagged at her every step down the staircase. Annabeth was dreading this so much, and she didn't think she would feel any relief, like so many people claimed, to say this. But, I need to, she reminded herself.

So she took the last steps down the polished staircase, her slippers skimming over the waxed marble like butter. Maybe it was the knowledge that she would be gone soon, or just the happy glaze over everything she was finding, but a giddy, surprised gasp escaped her. She never noticed they were so smooth. Our maids do a really good job, she realized. They've dusted, washed, and cleaned every inch of this mansion, every bit where all this happened. She'd been so wrapped up in herself sometimes, she'd never noticed.

And then she caught the eye of Williamson, gazing at her urgently. She'd kept Luke waiting long enough. Annabeth hurried the rest of the way to the door and gestured for the footman to open the door.

He did, and Luke stood outside, looking unsure. "Hello, Annabeth," he said with a nervous smile.

Annabeth watched him, observed his tense shoulders, the corner of his lip secured under his straight, white teeth. He was as nervous as she was. And from the way his hands floated in the air, but not really moving, made him look awkward and stiff.

She swallowed, suddenly meeting a dose of what he must've been thinking. They haven't met in some time, and they were barely making formal chatter that last time either. And from how many society ladies' homes she dragged herself to, in what state, and how inactive she'd been for months, the word that had been passed to Luke must've been befuddling.

Annabeth cleared her throat. "Well, look, hello, Luke. I just want you to know: I haven't—" a breeze blew, moving a strand of hair across her forehead, and she realized she was not doing this out on her doorstep. "Oh, sorry. Look, let's go inside."

She led the way to the back porch, his steps as clipped as hers, and when she closed the thin door behind them, their nervousness was thick enough to fill up the whole room's airspace.

They sat down uncertainly, across from each other. Annabeth shook her head at the maid who knocked and came in with a tray. "Sorry," she mouthed.

And then it was silent. Luke stared at her, but at a point right next to her eyes.

"I want to start with saying: I know the way I asked you to call was rather extravagant, and it's true, I've been doing rather bizarre things recently, but don't expect anything ludicrous right now. I set this up because I haven't been telling you a lot, and I don't want to leave with seeing you and letting you hear this."

She forced herself to look into his eyes. They were clear, sky-blue, as familiar to her as the real sky. Something twisted inside her when she realized she wouldn't be seeing them again. A part of her wanted to change her speech, apologize to Athena, stay in London. Percy would understand. They could continue building their new life here. A whole entire replacement plan was forming in her mind, along with drafts of pleading talks to Athena, but a bitter taste crawled up her throat and they all disappeared. Shame replaced it. She promised Percy. They made a pact to change their lives, and they knew it would have to be different from this.

Iciness brushed at her neck, so similar to the frosty winter night wind. Annabeth would remember that night on her deathbed. And though the cold air racing in and out of her lungs sparked her up, woke up mind up, dusted glitter-like frost into her eyes, and she felt so, so alive. But it wasn't enough. The faintest trace of chains still held at her chest. It couldn't spread fully, and her spirit couldn't fly off into the inky night yet. Despite everything, she knew she hadn't achieved freedom yet.

"Luke, we might've had a strange relationship recently, but I want you to know I do really care about you. You've been one of my greatest companions. There goes a few a day where I don't think about all you and Thalia have done for me and with me while we were children." He watched her carefully. She took a deep breath, and her voice dropped down to a whisper. "But what happened now?"

He shook his head, looked away.

"I'm really sorry, Luke. We've barely breached the topic of marriage, and our future. I know you've thought about it. So have I. And it wasn't hard to imagine, but it didn't feel right. Not always. Not like the future, I thought I'd have. So, I avoided thinking about it too much. But now, the Season's ending. We've been courting for a long time, and we're clearly in the stage where we have to talk this out, or we will never move forward. And I have to lay this out:

"Once, I would've loved to be your wife. But now, so much as changed. I can barely imagine us being that happy family. You've always treated me like a sister, a younger one, and I've always looked to you that way. And maybe we could still form a great family like that, but I know that we can both find something better. Luke, you've achieved so much already. You have a great rank, title, money, everything. You deserve to have that family that suits you, one that fulfills you. I am incapable of that. If you see a need to take care of me your entire life, then what about you? Or anyone else? And how can I handle myself? I'm not a society lady. I simply can't be the role of a woman watched after so much, who spends her life talking to other made-up women. We would both hate our marriage and our relationships after time. And that would be the worst thing that could happen to us."

She grew quiet, leaned back. Waited for him to speak.

Luke still couldn't meet her eyes, except for a second. When he spoke, his voice was rough, quiet, unreadable. "I see that you've figured it all out already." He didn't say it with any spite. Just observationally.

She opened her mouth, then closed it.

"This has been horrible between us. I used to look forward to calling you, to meeting up, but the Season has changed us both, am I not wrong? I know you've met that Poseidon man, and if I believed the rumors, you're harboring his gypsy child. I shall not, but I can see with my own eyes that you're brighter with him. That you notice him. And I will accept that. I've changed too." His voice went so quiet she could barely hear anything. "I sometimes feel like nothing is in my control. That's why I watch over you so carefully. Because I don't want you to come to any harm. Because you're my family, the youngest member, my responsibility, and though I obviously don't have any control here, I still want to try." His head drooped down, so low he was facing his knees.

"Luke, I know what that feels like." She reached out, brushed his shoulder faintly. "I grew up like you. Without a family I could depend on. And Athena has been exerting so much on me, too. I can relate to you, and you understand the deepest part of me, but we still don't know. We're going to have to try and deal with it forever, and we won't be able to bring each other up all the time. We're both stuck in the same problem, and if neither of us can solve it, what can we do? Stay trapped, in the middle?"

He let out a soft sound, one she didn't recognize. But it sounded like desperation and frustration and defeat rolled together.

"I know you're finding your way out. We're not stuck. I am."

She kneeled down, right next to him. "I didn't do it alone. I had to have someone pull me out. Percy. But as much as I want to, and as much as I care for you, I can't return. I will get lost again, and I'll be broken down, and by the time I find you, neither of us will be able to find our way out. But I know so many people who can bring you out."

"How?" He was whispering now.

"You'll find them, or they'll come to you, if you let them. Luke, I promise you this, even if I'm not here, don't ever think there isn't going to be someone for you."

"Annabeth," he looked up, "I can't believe you're the one telling me this."

Her mouth quirked up into a faint smile. "I can't either, Luke."

"How are you even smarter than before?"

"It's just something I had to learn recently."

"I'm glad you did."

"I really, really hope you'll listen, Luke."

"I will. Now, tell me, where are you going?"

"The edge of England, the country. I'll be leaving in a week. With Percy."

"Any celebrations, anything? Is nothing going to happen to mark the leaving of Annabeth Chase?" He watched her seriously.

"That's not important." She shrugged self-consciously.

"Yes, because the smartest, more rule-abiding lady in London changed into the most brilliant woman who chased her own dreams." His eyes shone when he watched her.

She was quiet, watching him in surprise. "Thank you, Luke."

He nodded. Then he shifted. "You never answered my question, Annabeth."

A startled laugh slipped out of her lips. He really did know all her childhood habits. If she didn't fully deflect a suggestion, it meant something to her. She thought it over, and said with a small smile, "I'll be having a wedding. Outside this big Olympus Circle. There's a small chapel a short ride away. You-you don't need to come."

He reached out, touched her arm. "Thank you, anyway, for telling me."

She stood up, and her heart ached with the thought of leaving him. He watched her expectantly, knowing what she was going to do.

But then she took a deep breath, and sat down again, in front of him. "We still have time, Luke. Tell me, how has your week been?"

He smiled at her. "Annabeth, we can write each other, you know."

She waved her hand. "Luke, just tell me."

-line break-

This is one of the sneakiest midnight endeavors she'd ever done, not that there were many, and she couldn't stop smiling to herself.

There was the creak of wheels and the rattling of hooves outside, which slowly silenced next to her. A door open, knocked on hers.

She made her way over and carefully opened it.

Percy stood outside, smiling up at her. He beckoned, and they both stepped out onto the asphalt.

"Why are we sneaking around, even?" She said with a laugh. "Everyone should know by now."

"Because I want to," he whispered.

She smiled and stood closer to him. "How was it?"

Percy took her hand. "I wish I had you, but it went okay, I guess."

His eyes glowed softly at night, playing on the lamplight. "You can tell me anything."

He sighed softly. "I'm alright. Poseidon said he'd miss me."

"Was that the nicest thing?"

"Yes." A laugh. "But I'm fine, really. You?"

"I'm on good terms with Luke. I think my mother will-get over it someday."

"I hope so."

"Yeah."

And then they just stood there, under the blurry night, right in between their carriages, comfortable in each other's arms.

Okay, I'm done yay! Sorry, I know it wasn't that good.

And reviews were THE MOST AMAZING THING EVER I LOVED THEM ALL SO MUCH THANK YOU! But it's late and I have to sleep so yeah so sorry can't reply right now.


	20. Chapter 20

**OH MY GOODNESS GUYS! I could not log in for literally months and months because of technical problems but here it is! I have not given up! Yay! So, yes, this is the last chapter, and sorry, no, it's not the best finale, but here it is. I had loads and loads of fun writing this and finding out how you guys felt about my random little story and I really hoped you liked this. More stuff about this ending will be below, but for now:**

 **Enjoy!**

(a week ago)

Sometimes, even if it was day, Annabeth couldn't be sure if she was dreaming or not. She was bouncing in her seat, her fingers loose on the leather of her reins, her torso tilted forward, spearing through the rushing wind. Hooves pounded hard against the abandoned dry stalks of wheat, as rhythmic as her heartbeat pulsing in her ears. Her breath seeped out of her in damp, white clouds, and her blood was rushing so fast it was flying. Annabeth was barely seated, but her legs hugged Porkpie's flanks easily, and every piece of her skin was blazing with adrenaline.

She was only wearing a long linen skirt, and it fluttered and tossed in the wind, tangling around her. Her hair, perhaps for the only time in her life, was loose, and it danced behind her, getting tugged and whipped. She couldn't stop smiling.

But they were nearing a well, and Porkpie's flanks were foaming with sweat and puffing painfully. She watched Percy neatly stop Blackjack on the side of the road and tugged at Porkpie's reins. He dismounted gracefully, swinging one long leg off and then another, and she tried to not look at the way his biceps bulged as he steadied himself. Annabeth loosened Porkpie's bridle and saddle, heavy and wet, and hung it up beside Blackjack's on the little rack next to the well. They drew up some water and poured it into the trough, and then Percy tugged on Annabeth's arm.

"I have somewhere for us to go," he said, a teasing grin in his eye.

Her eyes flickered from his crazy hair to his wind-roughened face. "Of course."

He pulled her to the edge of the field, where trees and shrubbery grew abundantly around a small stream. Annabeth's legs felt shaky from the ride as she trekked into the shadowy, cool spot. The stream was pebbled and a little muddy from the banks, but fresh and clean and mostly clear.

Percy went intrepidly to the edge, slipping off his shoes. Then he turned back, his whole face stretched in a troublemaker's grin. "I just had an idea. Would you mind getting _completely_ wet?"

Annabeth gasped, trying to hide her grin. "You-you rascal! Did you bring me all the way here for that?"

Percy backed up a little. "No! I was planning for us to just take a swim. I promise nothing will happen, alright? If you really do decide to, though, I won't look. I'll stay three feet away, too."

"Is this really your idea of fun?"

"Yeah!"

Annabeth rolled her eyes. "Alright, _fine._ Just for you. But we're going to the side, where you can't see anything through the water, okay?"

She could tell Percy wasn't trying to be disgusting. He liked being in the water, and completely in it. She'd bet that he did this quite a number of times before by himself.

They each found different trees to stand behind, far from each other. She heard his clothes gently fall to the ground. They agreed he'd go in first and keep his eyes shut. A splash echoed down the stream. Annabeth tried to work quickly, but she couldn't undo the firm string tying her petticoats to her waist. Murmuring angrily to herself, she finally untied it and shed off all her heavy gowns. Then, hesitantly, she dropped her underclothes last. "Turn around," she called out. She saw the back of a dark-haired head and then raced into the water, slipping underneath.

Cold water surged up against her skin, reaching every nook and cranny, sliding up against every bump and hollow. It was like getting wrapped loosely in flowing silk. It was icy, causing her to shiver, but the sensation lit up her nerves in an almost giddy way. She smiled, her bottom lip touching the rippling surface of the water.

"You can turn around," she said to Percy, noting happy that he'd stayed like that the whole time. He spun easily, his eyes firmly resting on hers. His face broke into a young smile. "Isn't this great?"

The water rushed up against her spine, and winded around her ankles. "A little bit," she allowed.

"I'm sorry your virtue isn't preserved anymore."

Swimming machines (that is truly what they are called, sometimes) were giant, heavily-padded cotton gowns that were almost just as wide as normal ones. Now that Annabeth could brush through the water, could skim past the bobbing waves, could slid down the shore, she couldn't for the life of her understand how other women swam in those clothes.

"True, I have just lost whatever remains of it."

"Well, I must still aim to protect you of your rest. Whatever that is. I'm staying three feet away, alright?"

"Sure. Thank you." Then she dunked her head underwater. The lake flung itself at her face, resisting against her force, and a few bubbles of her happy escaped breath brushed her forehead as they rushed upwards. Her hair was drawn up from their roots and danced about, curling like dull blond strands in the water around her. She pulled her head up and water streamed down her face, speeding up in the hollows of her cheekbones and slowly flowing next to her jaw or whisking down her nose, landing in the curve of her lips. Her hair was flattened and plastered to her face, sticking against her neck. Percy's smile grew huge.

"I kind of want to kiss you now, Lady Chase," he whispered.

And she wanted to thread her fingers into his slightly damp, thick hair and touch her side to his in the cold water, knowing she'd feel warm muscle. And then to lean in… Her cheeks reddened.

"Let's swim," she answered softly, smiling embarrassedly. He nodded and shot off through the water, sweeping through until his form melded with the whirling water.

He _was_ like a fish. Annabeth followed, trying out this dance against the flow of the stream, staying paces behind Percy.

It was all she could do to not laugh as the water tickled her skin. They stopped when they started to move to far, and stood upright again. The pebbles were cool against her feet.

Percy moved right in front of her, his hair wet and hanging in front of his forehead, releasing drips continuously as he pushed it back. His ocean eyes pierced her, sharp and intense. She shivered slightly as she stared back.

His hands shifted below the surface, and she could see cut-up reflections of his tan skin wavering above on the water. Annabeth moved her eyes back up to his, which didn't move.

"Annabeth, you're amazing." And then he suddenly dipped entirely below, his body slipping into the water. She thought he would be completely under, but his chin stayed above the water, and small waves pushed at him.

"Ever since I saw you for the first time, when we were so young, I saw that you were special. And that never changed, even as we got older. You grew more beautiful, wiser, and shone so bright everyone had to turn away, and you were special. So special that I had to look high up to see you. I was so scared of you, you know? I had no idea how to act around you, how to be able to face up to you one day when we took our parent's places. But I did know I liked you. Not like this, but I did really like you. Somehow. So I found you at your ball. I wanted to be all nice and charming for you, but I couldn't. You were Annabeth Chase, Athena. You had so much to be prideful about, and all I had was confounded insecurity. I learned only one way to get rid of that, or at least to hid it. So, I summoned up a false ego. One that could boost me to stare to long, write burning letters to you, to steal all your dances. And then your fire burned harder. Pushed me down, scared me into hiding. But I still, somehow again, liked you. Even more. Too much. So I got a new hat, a new home, and visited you. We became friends, and I loved that. I love it now. It helped us get close, open up, and then you taught me so, so much. You call yourself useless and too emotional, but you are absolutely the smartest lady ever. I'm trying to work on my value, my insecurity. I've found it in a million places, and you've helped me. And I know I didn't do anything for you, but the fact that you've realized your pride, your fears, and your very own insecurity beside me just made me see you as more incredible. But I could still never call you flawed, Annabeth. Because I will always think of you as flawless. And now, somehow, I'm in love with you. It hurts when I think of you, from being so happy. And when I'm next to you, it doesn't matter what's happening, because we can change it to be ours. I breathe you in, I breathe in love, every moment. And when we're through, I know we'll keep seeing more trying to throw us down, but it will never work. Because you've taken our broken pieces and put them together, as a whole. One breathing, beating whole. And one day, but also right now, we're building something new. Something beautiful, huge, glowing, bright. Something I cannot wait for, not anymore.

"So, Annabeth. Will you marry me?"

Tears were running down her face too hard for her to answer. So she just fell, too, under the water and floating half-upright, surged forward to hug him. His skin was warm, and much more of it was touching hers' than she ever imagined, and then pressed their damp faces together. His lips met hers in the wet mess, and her hair fell onto his shoulders and she was laughing into his mouth and smiling too much and she felt completely weightless with love.

"Is that a yes?" He whispered onto her.

Her head fell on his broad shoulder. "I love you, Percy." She laughed more. "Is there a ring?"

"Of course," he said, grinning. He opened his palm to reveal a thin metal circle with a speck of a diamond set inside, showering sparkles and gleaming wet.

"I love it." She took it carefully and slid it onto her finger herself.

"Look carefully," he told her.

But of course, Annabeth had noticed something. She brought the ring up to her eye. And then she sputtered with laughter. "A blue diamond?!" She kissed him again, so happy she couldn't use her words to thank him.

"I love you, Annabeth," he said back.

-line break-

This was it. The very next day, after Annabeth summoned up all her courage to talk to Athena, she was moving out. It wasn't like she was exactly welcome anymore, or like she wanted to stay.

But even if she no longer remained, her leaving caused a large number of the household to shed tears. Annica sniffled the whole time she helped her pack up her bags, and random maids and servant boys and cooks and everyone else stopped her in the hallway to thank her and curtsy or bow. A lot of the younger kids presented her with gifts, wrapped in scraps of rough parchment or butcher paper, tied up with twine, and though they felt light and tiny, she knew she would treasure them for long. A few of her siblings surfaced at their bedchamber windows when she was out in the driveway to wave, and her smallest sister, the one who appeared in the olive grove when she was with Percy, came out to hug her legs tight and cry into her drab homespun skirt (courtesy of Julia).

And then her hired carriage came rolling up the smooth paved drive, plain and windowless, the impatient driver looking unaffected by all the tearful farewells. Footmen, coming out of nowhere, helped lift her bags onto the top of the carriage, and gently helped her inside. She waved and kissed cheeks and hugged everyone through the narrow doorway before the driver rapped on the wall between them. "Miss, could you hurry up?" He asked gruffly.

Annabeth squeezed one little girl's hand and tucked a little sprig of wildflower into her hair before waving at everyone gathered one last time. Tears pressed at the back of her eyes as she looked at every one of them. As the footman closed her door, she caught a flash of liquid silver, shining gunmetal, at the tall window of the main balcony, but then the flat door was blocking her sight of her home and she was sure she imagined it. Maybe it was the sun on iron.

Annabeth slid open the small door between her and the driver. She murmured the address, and the horses knickered as they were ushered forward.

The carriage moved quickly, and Annabeth touched the walls mournfully, wishing there was a window. Then she forced herself to sink back into the linen seats and relax. Her spine loosened, bent until it was almost uncomfortable to be so folded. She grinned. Freedom seemed so, so close all of a sudden.

-line break-

The carriage eventually slowed. She blinked away her faint sleepiness and peeked at the edges of the door. Warm, hazy light, amber-colored. It was already the afternoon, then.

The driver came to her side and swiftly opened the door, eager to get back into town. He carefully helped her out and lifted her bags off the top, snapping the ropes with practiced movements. Then he stood still in front of her and lifted his hat.

Annabeth knew what he meant. She pulled a few notes out of her purse, taking out a few extra coins too. He took them, murmured a low thanks, and crawled back into his seat.

Annabeth took a few steps away from the dirt road. She was in a meadow with low, baby grass and the tiniest flowers peeking up from the surface. Ahead, beyond a small hill, was a glimpse of a pointed white roof, with a hint of old gliding running along the edges.

She smiled and took off, her boots treading carefully on the fuzzy grass. Just as she was making her way down the hill, and the whitewashed front of the church was coming into view, a person in a bright pink-and-white dress came along the side. She immediately rushed over.

"Annabeth!" Piper yelled breathlessly. She flung herself into her friend's arms, and Annabeth stumbled back slightly, firmly looping her arms around Piper so they didn't fall. For a short period of time they just stood there, laughing and breathing beside each other's ears. And then Piper reluctantly drew back.

"How are you?" she asked, holding onto Annabeth's forearms.

"I'm good, thank you. No, I'm great." She let out an excited laugh. "I'm really going to miss the Athena Mansion though."

Piper shook her head. "It was a wonderful place. Beautiful architecture."

And then they both laughed loudly.

"Okay, Pipes, how are you?"

She grinned. "Engaged." She held up her hand and a small, 2 carat diamond sparkled in the sun, throwing pieces of light everywhere.

Annabeth squealed and jumped forward to squeeze Piper in a hug. "My goodness, Piper!"

Piper, grinning just as wide, hopped a little in their hug. "I know right?"

When they had both feet planted on the ground, Annabeth grabbed her ringed hand. "When did this happen? How?"

Piper laughed. "Two weeks ago."

Annabeth gaped at her. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Well, you were kind of busy this time, from what I can tell, and you didn't call me…"

Annabeth let out a mournful sound. "I'm so sorry, Piper! I totally didn't—"

Piper waved her off. "I don't mind. Not all it. It was just two weeks. You're allowed to be busy for such a short period of time, alright?"

"I'm still sorry, really. So, how did it happen?"

Piper grinned widely. "Oh, wow. He took me to a warm little café in the wee hours of the morning for some cocoa, and then we brought the mugs up to the ceiling of some huge industrial building and watched the sun rise." She sighed softly to herself. "And then he proposed and gave me this beautiful ring and then I kissed him."

Annabeth hugged her again. "That is so beautiful, Piper. I am so, so happy for you."

Piper drew back to smirk at her. "Well, I'm even happier. You're getting married in a tiny church in a meadow!"

She tried not to smile too much. "I know! But come on, when are you getting married?"

Piper groaned. "End of fall. The preparations will drive me crazy."

"Come visit me whenever, alright? We found this great house in the country. You'll have our new address."

"I cannot wait to dress up in gingham and milk a cow. I can totally see you two going all out."

"We're not going to hire maids for a tiny country house!"

"Alright, I'll send the invitations when we get them."

"Won't my black sheep-ness affect your wedding?" She was joking, but it could be a problem to Aphrodite or whoever was planning.

"Please. I get to make, like, one decision, and allowing you in is that one."

"Piper, thank you!"

"Well, your wedding's tomorrow, and we need to stop dillydallying. The place we're all staying at is over there. Silena has prepared some all-night-long makeup for you, alright?"

"Oh, great."

"That's later, Beth. We actually have a dress fitting for you, some hairstyle tests, and you probably want time for your vows."

"I'm done with those." She couldn't mask her excitement too well.

"Well, we have a lot to do!"

-line break-

Honestly, it was like she just blinked and then she was standing outside the church, clutching her flowers hard.

Piper and the others had gone before her, and she was sure the carpet was laden with petals from her youngest cousins.

She took a deep breath. And then she pushed open the doors and stepped inside. The church was beautiful. All the windows were open, letting morning light stream in with force. Antique lanterns, with intricate metal patterns on the side, tracing the candlelight into tiny images, were hung up on the walls, and the pews had lily of the valley and tulips and amaryllis and heather hung on the sides. Jars of lavender and rosemary sat on windowsills. The carpet was plain, and indeed, scattered haphazardly with petals.

Annabeth took delicate steps forward. Her dress brushed against the floor. It was a simple one, but also delicate and detailed. Her bodice was a smooth white cloth, with a thousand pieces of crystals sewed on with silver string. It clung firmly onto her torso, but not in a tight way or breath-restraining in the least. It flowed into a long skirt, and a multilayered one. The top was just white lace, the kind perfect for cover-ups, and underneath one could see faint outlines of patterned, intricate designs in lace. A wide fishnet was draped over curling loops of lace, and eyelets forming flowers was barely visible from the top. Each of them had a different story, and the last three, on the bottom, with sharp or spherical or ancient designs, were borrowed from others. One of the longest pieces, with the lacing forming curves like scales, was the one touching the floor, softly _swishing_ as she stepped closer to the altar.

The audience watched her, wide-eyed and happy. She spotted so much family: the whole Demeter cabin, some young Apollo girls, a huge row of Aphrodite kids. And friends: Piper, Thalia, Miranda, and Calypso, sitting next to Leo. Annabeth raised an eyebrow at them, smiling. Malcolm sat in the front, waving. Annabeth gasped in surprise. She thought none of her siblings would be able to make it. But him, and a few of her sisters, were all waiting.

She finally dared to look towards the altar. Her heart jumped into her throat. Percy was standing there, looking handsome and sharp and happy and excited and loving and so, so beautiful. His hair was just tamed a little, his shoulders fitted into his suit perfectly, and the dark blue of it shone under the sunlight.

She slowed to a stop in front of him. The priest read a passage from Genesis, ending with the fateful words Annabeth had learned from young: Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.

He blessed them both, and they spoke their vows. They spoke shortly, sincerely, and were obviously in love. Annabeth was teary when she said, "I do." Percy's voice was firm, but a little choked. Percy's half-brother, Tyson, brought their rings to them on a pillow.

Annabeth smiled as she saw them. They gleamed brightly in the light pouring from the windows. Beforehand, when picking them out, she said that one diamond was good enough for her. And then she was the one who decided: she would get a rich white ring, carved from pearl, and he would get smooth, creamy shell, carved. Both together. Both just as beautiful as the other.

The ring felt cool and smooth on her finger as he slid it on. It even felt like the sea. She picked up his and, just as gingerly, placed it on for him. It was not as slippery, but hard and varying in shades of creamy yellow. What she especially loved was that he would also be able to hear the sea, and she would always be able to see the beauty of it.

And then they kissed. It was slow but quick, chaste but romantic. Her heart soared at the feel of his lips, the permanent salty taste, how gentle they were. His hands slipped to her waist; her arms curved around to his back. And then, it was fast, and over. She stared at his eyes, rich and swirling and green.

"Hello, husband," she whispered.

"Good morning, wife."

She smiled. "I love you so, so much." And then the audience erupted into applause.

 **Okay, that's it. Please read through this whole extremely long A/N sorry but I have a new story introduction and then I have to ask you guys all for something. Saying that for the last time (at least for this story) makes me so sad though! *sniffles* I really, really liked this story. The plot turned out much better than I thought, and I have loved seeing my characters grow. You guys have been a huge part of this, motivating me, pushing me to write better, and posting. So thank you so much! Everyone one of you, even the people who only read a little, are all greatly appreciated. Like, sincerely.**

 **I want to especially thank piggyhero, you've stopped writing around the start of this but now you're starting again so yay! Anyway, you've been super helpful and wrote some really great and funny reviews and laughed with me and listening to all my crazy plots-actually I still have to tell you the weird one your idea inspired-and I am so glad to have you as a friend. I would never trade you for anything and I hope we never go out of touch.**

 **Okay, and every single reviewer: you're ridiculously nice. Like, seriously, don't you guys have better things to do than keep reading this and writing incredible comments? I am glowing every time I read your comments. And those who write like ten in a row? Wow. You guys are the reason I smile too much and cause my friends to think I'm extra weird (okay, impossible, but still.)**

 **So, I have a new story coming up, and it's going to be actually good. As in, I will actually edit and write multiple drafts and maybe get a beta reader and** _ **force**_ **myself to write well. There are obviously some low chapters here, but for my new story, you will not find any. I've already began writing the first chapter, so expect something maybe end of next month (since my plot needs more development).**

 **The basic gist is that Mortal AU Percy eventually just couldn't run away from his twisted childhood, and gets chronic depression and also gets involved with drugs and stuff. But he gets introduced to a therapist, Annabeth Chase, who's extremely unconventional and creative in trying to help her patients and one of the best in the world. And then she helps him try to get through his problems while they both work through life. I'll write an actual summary obviously, but later. I got the prompt from DDaughterofAthena since she has a bunch of prompts up for adoption and you guys should check those out, and her really great stories.**

 **Anyways, I'll do a lot of research to try and make it accurate, but for now, I want to ask you guys for something. If you have any advice on how to talk to people who are hurting, or if you're feeling down, or just going through a lot, send me a PM please! I would love to listen and reply (or not if you don't want me to) and I seriously need some help for my story. Thank you so much, guys!**

 **Now I shall review to all the ones I missed for before.**

 **Ch. 18 Reviews:**

 **Rocketay: Thank you so much! Wow, okay, that is just so nice. Seriously. I thought it was too weird and then I read that. Thank you!**

 **FantasyQueen2509: That was really nice and scary. No, just kidding, it was really nice. Thank you. Yeah, I had that same reaction when I was writing. Basically. Did I describe the kiss way too much? Probably. Also, I'm really sorry I didn't actually listen to your *cough* death threat, and that I made you wait. Sorryyyyyyy!**

 **EmmaBloomFan22: Thank you so much! Like seriously, all caps reviews are the nicest. I really did try to make it well-written, so thank you! I am not that smart, like come on, not at all, and I don't see where you got that strange idea, but thanks. It made me smile like a total brainless weirdo for basically the whole day.**

 **Ashspren: Okay, the first part was hilarious. I hope you didn't do that though, for real, or else you could damage your vocal cords. I know from experience *facepalm*. You're welcome, I really did love writing that chapter. I'm so, so happy you liked reading it. Thank you so much for saying my content was good, since it was the awkward emotional/problems talk and I can't deal with that very well but you even also said my writing/trying really hard not to make it sound weird was good so THANK YOU! I don't judge you for crying. Not at all. Some feels just get you like crazy. Thanks for telling me that. I don't think I really kept up the work, but thanks anyway.**

 **DecemberRome: Well, you totally deserve to be attached. It's cool! Anyway, your review was so beautiful and professional I am so, so grateful you wrote it. It was incredibly nice. You've described my writing in a really, really beautiful way. I actually barely know how to express any of this, I just write it out. But thank you so, so, so much. Especially for the encouragement. I loved that. And I really, really apologize for replying so late. I procrastinate everything, sorry! I feel like so many people are afraid of never If people are expecting you to be perfect, that sucks. I know you're serious when you say that everyone notices, and is equally horrible, because it's inevitable. And while it's really amazing for an author to see that readers relate to their characters, seeing you say how closely your life matches Annabeth was really sad for me. I hope that whatever happens, you can brave it out, and eventually escape that kind of expectation. Thank you so much for sharing. If you want to PM me about anything, even to just talk please do. You're a really cool person.**

 **AzumeRiver: First of all, your formal letter style is amazing. I loved it. I'm so glad you actually enjoyed it, I mean I've been typing it every chapter and finally! Thank you for everything. I have been trying to make my writing flow better and it kind of does so yay thanks. I actually had no idea the label for this was called period stories, but thanks for telling me, and I'm really glad I inspired you. I'm just an overly humanities person so I love history too and I hope you found some really good stories. Thank you for saying my characters weren't OOC because I thought I was basically altering them entirely except for appearances, basically, but your review really encouraged me. Your review was great motivation! Even though the next chapter wasn't that good it was my fault but you really did do what you hoped to. My writing has definitely grown, and thank you for bringing it up, but I seriously don't see it improving every chapter. Some were just bad. But still, thanks! You said so much and it was incredible!**

 **Ch. 19 Reviews:**

 **Guest: Here you have it, a million years later. Thanks for waiting and reading.**

 **Abidoodle.e: HI! Ahh I missed you! It's okay if you leave, no one expects you to be reading their stuff the second it appears. Anyway, I hope you've still been okay. But thanks for coming back! I know, this gets much better when they're closer** **. The fact that this is one of the most adorable stories you've read is seriously amazing to me. And I know you read a lot of stories. (Not a stalker, I swear! I just saw authors replying to your reviews for a bunch of other stuff I was reading myself. Which is so cool, by the way.) But this is not that fluffy and cute (at least to me). So thank you for saying so! And I thought this would be lame but also thank you for saying this is heartfelt! That means so much to me. I try with the deeper meanings. I'm glad you like them. And for the poetic feel, thank you! I actually kind of suck at poetry but I really like it and the way it's generally used so I actually did try to use that a little. Thank you so much (for the last time) and I hope this was worth waiting for.**

 **Guest: I was about to post this the day you wrote your review. And then my technology failed on me. *sigh***

 **DemigodSassReaders: Wow, I've missed your hilarious reviews. Thanks for continuing and blasting me with three in a row wow I don't think anyone else has done that. Thank you so much for reminding me someone still remembers this and it's been super great having you review so consistently.**


	21. Brief, Not-a-Sequel Oneshot

**Hi! Sorry for getting you guys all excited, this story is completed and this isn't a sequel. A long, long time ago, I promised this behind the scenes oneshot (which I was going to post separately but there's too much technical issues with that). Rocketay, thank you so much for your support! You've been super encouraging and amazing. Sorry for making you wait. And honestly, I will also have to apologize that this was probably not as good as you imagined. But I had fun writing this, and I hope you will have fun reading this.**

 **This is supposed to have happened within Ch. 15.**

 **Also. PEOPLE! There is an amazing PJO-themed writing competition waiting to start! It's on a forum called Capture the Flag. (link: forum/CHB-Capture-the-Flag-Tournament/226550/) We get to chose cabins, and then every two weeks you'll get to work together with your cabinmates as you write a short story under your cabin's prompt. It's going to be a great place to meet cool people and test out your writing skills! If you are doubting your ability, you better join! You can only improve with practice** **.**

 **Enjoy!**

A grand, yellow satin-coated carriage rolled to a stop before the busy thoroughfare. Annabeth noticed people stopping in the middle of their work to crane their necks in hope of glimpsing which noble was sitting behind the lace curtains.

She pulled her rough bonnet lower over her face and readjusted her grip on the leather reins. She gently pressed her legs against Porkpie's flanks, but he was smart enough to not charge into the traffic of speeding buggies and clinking bicycles and leisurely rolling carriages. Annabeth could only hunch down slightly, fighting her automatic instinct to keep her spine straight.

Huge aristocratic blue eyes nervously peeked out, framed by mousy brown lashes. Annabeth didn't spot an Olympus family insignia on the carriage, but she wasn't taking any chances and quickly turned her head, hoping her curls weren't falling out from underneath her shapeless hat.

The whole grand procession happened at the sidewalk. A footman descending from a horse, swinging his broad thighs for all the maids passing by to _ooh_ , and smartly snapped open the brocaded door of the carriage. The lady inside pushed out the lacey fullness of her skirt out of the doorway and delicately tiptoed out. Annabeth recognized every movement the foreign lady made, how to place one slipper on the ground, how to gently lean a bit of weight on the footman's shoulder, and how to duck beneath the doorway with perfectly straight posture. She never learned it. She just watched it happen a million times. But she was abandoning her manners today.

The servants and cooks have been aflutter the entire week discussing a travelling circus that was passing through London. It was hosted in a shiny red tent, and people would push up against the stage to see singers and dancers that the most talented. Every single night, there was standing room only.

It was a place were Annabeth's damask gown would get stained, and where she couldn't spread her lacey fan to communicate her feelings without brushing against some peasant's face. Those weren't her main concerns, just the things her servants would whisper as they got her ready for the day. She thought reading a book by the fireplace was a much more useful way to spend an evening.

But, inevitably, the next hand-delivered letter with the seal of Poseidon discussed nothing but the circus. Lord Jackson desperately wanted to attend and see the man who could sing underwater. It took a couple more letters for her to acquis, in which he attempted to wax poetry and eventually resorted to quoting from the greats, but Annabeth had already innately agreed when she decoded his handwriting in the first letter. But at least his personalized poetry would be useful for teasing and holding over him for the rest of his life.

Her servants didn't know much about where she was going. A mortal conventionally courting her would never invite her to such a rough-and-tumble place. They normally tried to wow her with caviar and some kind of imported plant over ice. She didn't want anyone suspecting anything about William Herdwick, the alias Percy borrowed from a farmer to spend time with her. Her servants could understand she wanted a semblance of normalcy, and that he seemed to be nice enough for a friend, but an engagement with a certain son of Hermes was expected to be hanging in the balance as the end of the season approached.

Calling a carriage herself and arriving at the circus grounds would have been implausible. The drivers would question why she wanted to leave for the dirty, crowded downtown, and her maids would dress her nicely for any suitor but she didn't want to muddy twenty layers of hand-spun cotton. Annabeth considered arriving at the shopping district, but then she would have to lose her chaperone, who knew very well that his duty was to follow Annabeth everywhere, and it would be a too-long walk in search of that tent.

Percy's most recent messenger left the horse Porkpie at the Athena stables, and at early dawn, Annabeth crawled down from her balcony in Julia's old shift, tucked her favorite necklace inside the collar with jewels but also a piece of coral, and mounted the Poseidon horse. They stuck to the back roads, where Annabeth smeared some mud on the bronze saddle to Porkpie's displeasure, and now she hopefully looked like any other traveler on this densely crowded street.

She had already memorized the map. A few roads away, she should spot Percy. Blackjack's gleaming ebony coat and his long, angular figure would not be hard to see. But she had to get Porkpie to move first. Clutching the reins, she carefully leaned over to his small, cupped ear.

"Hey," she whispered, and he flicked his ear away. "Um, I'll feed you some apples if you cross…?"

Porkpie let out a breathy snort, obviously ignoring her.

"What do you want? Sugar cubes? A pastry?" Why did this always work between Percy and Blackjack? They took a long time negotiating, but Blackjack at least appeared interested. Percy swore the horses understood them, and she'd watched their interactions enough times to be convinced, but maybe it didn't apply to her. "Okay, I don't know what they feed you at the Poseidon stables, but I'll make sure Percy gives you extra." Porkpie twitched his ears again. "Or something else? If I ever meet him again, I'll ask what you like, okay?"

"Come on! I promise you no buggy will hit you!" Annabeth sighed and slid off Porkpie. He straightened his back and grunted contentedly, then stared at her with his huge black eyes. She pulled his reins forward. "I'll lead you. And, yes, the deal with the food still holds."

Porkpie wasn't even carrying anything, so it was a strange sight to see a small servant girl leading him into the traffic. In the corner of her vision, Annabeth saw the lady and her team of footmen disappear into a nice home on the street behind her. She wondered why she was here, but from the sparse number of jewels the young woman wore, she probably didn't have a high title.

 _The less rich, the more freedom_ , she thought sardonically as she dodged a cart of wrinkled plums. Finally, back on a road again, Porkpie let her mount and carried her far enough until she saw a pointed metal spire rising above the stubby shops and taverns. Annabeth anxiously searched the road and found him within seconds.

Blackjack was flinging his thick tail around and prancing listlessly, clearly desperate to take off and fly down the small street. Percy was redoubtably tall on his horse, clinging on despite Blackjack's erratic movements, and Annabeth had to smile at the common clothes he was wearing. A too-small, unstarched undershirt was straining against his skin, and he had to hitch his rough-looking trousers high up to cover his stomach. The black overcoat shifted around his shoulders every time he moved, but Percy still looked perfectly comfortable. He was urging Blackjack to turn in a circle as he looking around, and pushing back his tangled hair, he spotted her. His eyes glowed viridescent, which she picked up from one of Miranda's botany books, though the description still didn't entirely fit, and his lips curled into his angular cheeks.

Percy didn't break his stare when he leaned forward on Blackjack, and the horse shot down the street, a blurred shadow. Porkpie whinnied happily.

"Welcome to the circus, Annabeth," he announced.

"I assume that would've been more dramatic if we were actually there," she said with a smirk, steering Porkpie forward.

Blackjack easily galloped ahead. "It's right there," Percy protested, sweeping out an arm.

They rounded the corner, and the red-and-white striped tent was pale in the early morning. Lights glimmered from the entrance, moving silhouettes of the crowd danced against the tent walls, and boisterous music faded in and out from the low noise of chatter.

Percy turned to Annabeth with a grin and _you see?_ all over his face. She shrugged, but she was excited too. They settled Blackjack and Porkpie in the makeshift horse stalls and brushed them down to stop the angry snorts, and then fixing their clothes to make them fit a little bit better, headed to the circus.

Percy held out his arm, and Annabeth stared at him with a raised eyebrow. "Does this look like a ball to you?"

"No, but a lady such as you should have an escort."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and tried not to laugh out loud at the freedom of being able to do so She thought over it for a moment and looped her arm in his. She'd done this every dance she attended, with a wide variety of partners, but it was different this time. Neither of them were wearing gloves, and her hand brushed against his warm skin. She let out a small breath. And they weren't exactly in a place where escorts frequent. It was like they had some kind of secret together.

A burly pair of guards stood before the entrance, and a tuxedoed, spry man was grinning and bowing and plucking money from hands.

"Now, what will the handsome couple pay?" He asked, trying to wink slyly.

Annabeth hoped her blanching wasn't too obvious. "I want to be next to the stage," Percy proclaimed eagerly.

Annabeth raised an eyebrow. She knew he couldn't help blurting, except he was now supposed to be speaking for them both. She also knew that the man's tickets were identical.

"Why, I can see this stylish mademoiselle may prefer something else," the man said, suddenly twirling gold-paper tickets before them. "Like the top-tier balcony seats."

It was also becoming clear that they weren't well-disguised. Strands of her recently-washed hair was slipping from her cap, and well, Percy's teeth were very shiny. Percy frowned. "But that's so far away from the action!"

Annabeth didn't expect an opportunity to sit, but it sounded like the better option. She was already reaching into her receptacle, dropping a few silver coins on the table. "Is that enough?"

Percy was staring at her. "Too much," he hissed. But the tickets were crammed into his palms and the line shoved them to the burly guards, who also pushed them past without a glance.

Annabeth hoped she wasn't blushing in mortification. Now that she thought of it, common people seemed to avoid naming prices around her. But Percy did most of the paying on their outings, and that was the normal amount he would give out. "How is a ticket cheaper than a coffee and a potpie?"

"I was tipping the waiter," Percy explained, but at least he wasn't being impatient with her. Even with her limited understanding of money, she knew that would be a generous tip. Annabeth decided to let things drop off where they were and look around the circus.

It was so rowdy. The act hadn't started yet, but some leotard-clad people were jumping around and hooting on the dusty stage as the backstage curtains fluttered every once in a while, with the noises of nervous chatter and frantic movements coming out in wisps. The crowd was frenzied. Percy stared longingly at the ring of people, proudly standing beside the stage, reaching out to touch the performers every once in a while. Annabeth pushed him up the stairs on the back wall.

The balcony was much nicer, with seats lined in wrinkled velvet and a polished mahogany bar running along the edge. But the noise of the crowd was now just a dull roar, and the sequins of the leotards twinkled from down below. The view was worse. Annabeth frowned as she sat down. The ticket man didn't even give them another choice. He clearly just wanted their money, and even without duping Annabeth, the balcony seats were clearly a lot more expensive.

"Sorry," Annabeth forced out from her throat.

Percy shrugged. "At least we won't be pushed against."

Annabeth quickly glanced around the balcony. There was no one of high title. Annabeth knew none of her relatives would be caught dead here, at least in a less obvious disguise. Some women were peering down with opera glasses.

Percy was eyeing her in that way he did when he had an idea. "Do you want to sneak downstairs? We paid."

She relented. She didn't want to disappoint him again. "Sure. I don't think any amount of pushing is going to get us to the stage, though."

"Don't worry, I don't want to offend your feminine sensibilities by making you push someone."

She frowned at him. "You know what, I wouldn't mind demonstrating." But they were heading down the stairs, so even if Athena would like it if he broke his neck, Annabeth decided against it. They slid into the crowd, close enough to feel the hoots and laughter and clapping echoing with their heartbeats.

Annabeth felt her throat close up. Everyone was brushing right against each other, and she kept feeling skin on her skin: calloused palms, the sweaty cheek of a toddler, a burn scar on someone's arm. She swallowed. She did not have a conscious memory of being in such a crowded place

"Percy," she whispered. "What are we doing here?"

He blinked at her, the raw excitement on his face fading slightly. "Is something wrong?"

This wasn't the same as pretending, having their own rickety table in a dusty café. "Should we be here?" Maybe it was her privilege speaking, the things she was told as a child. They all sounded wrong. "Why are we supposed to be different?"

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The ringmaster boomed, swinging out onto the stage. There was a low roar from the crowd, and he swept out his white-gloved hands, cutting off the silence. He paced, the red tail of his coat flying. "Welcome to The Travelling Circus!"

Sparklers and fire exploded, and a stunning throng of performers raced out, painted and singing and dancing like they were born to do it. Annabeth felt streamers and glitter flutter on her skin, and a smile tugged at her lips. It was incredible.

Percy shrieked as a water tank was pulled onto the stage, and a whole trio of singers rose from the water, their voices arching across the ceiling. They slipped underwater, their voices still echoing around them.

Annabeth realized he was indistinguishable from anyone else in the crowd at this moment. And so was she. And they were not supposed to be divided or set apart. And maybe they always could be, as long as they chose to enjoy these amazing things together.

She was going to invite Annica and whoever hadn't come yet. But for now, Annabeth decided to jump and make noise like everyone else as an acrobat jumped off the shimmering human pyramid.

 **Yay, okay, that short trip down memory lane is over now. Anyway, please check out the forum!**

 **Again, thank you Rocketay for reading my A/Ns and just being amazing overall.**

 **Au revoir,**

 **Pride-and-loyalty**


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